Once and For All
by Fae'sFlower
Summary: An orphaned Galinda Upland is sent to the Emerald City Palace to be a maid for the Princess of Oz. Once she arrives, she is treated with nothing but contempt and is almost driven from the palace. But sometimes, salvation comes in the most unlikely way. Fiyeraba.
1. A New Job

**Hello, everyone! This story idea came from an idea sparked from a show I was in this past February/March. My theatre school did a professional version of Euripides'** ** _Medea._** **It was my professional theatre debut and I was in the chorus (I had a blast!). But it was rewritten by our director to deal with the issues of women's rights in third world countries. As part of the chorus, we had to research and discuss how women are treated in these countries and how it will relate to us creating our roles as village women living these lives.**

 **DISCLAIMER/ WARNING: This story will delve into some pretty deep themes (ie: rape, exploitation, virginity, abortion). This story takes place in a "male-dominated" society, where women (especially servants) have little to no rights, especially when it comes to their bodies. It won't go TOO deep to a point of no return, but this is just a warning.**

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Galinda Upland shot up in her cot, biting back a scream as she awoke from another nightmare. It was the same one almost every single night for the past six weeks, and no matter what she did, she couldn't shake it off. Most of the dream would vanish from her memory once she returned to reality, but it still didn't stop her from getting scared.

"… Glinny?" a small voice asked from a few cots down. "You okay?"

"Yes. F-Fine, E-Ebbie. Go… go to… s-sleep," Galinda whispered, trying not to wake the others.

"I can't, Glinny. I don't like the dark."

Sighing softly, Galinda slowly rose from her creaky cot and padded across the large room to where the younger girl was. She opened one of the windows, allowing the cool, late August air to cool down the room. She lifted her into her arms and hugged her close. "It… okay, E-Ebbie. Go… b-back… s-sleep now."

The little girl buried her face in Galinda's shoulder and clung to her. The older girl knew she was like a mother to her. In fact, as one of the oldest, she was like a mother to a lot of the younger girls. That was what it was like living in an orphanage. Despite the fact that she barely remembered her own mother, she was a good replacement for the younger ones.

"Now, get… s-sleep. You w-want… to be… b-bright-eyed… b-bushy t-t-tailed… to-m-morrow," Galinda smiled.

"Do you think a family will adopt me tomorrow?" little Ebbie asked, hope filling her hazel eyes.

Galinda smiled as she brushed the little girl's tangled light brown hair away from her face. "O-Of… c-course."

"What about you? Will a family come and adopt you, too?"

Galinda smiled at the little girl. She couldn't tell her that since she was eighteen, the chances of her getting adopted were slim-to-nothing. "… Sure… will."

"That's nice," Ebbie yawned, snuggling close to Galinda before she fell asleep.

The blonde tucked her back in and went back to her own cot. She sat up against the head of the bed, her legs crossed underneath her, and looked out the window. Tomorrow was the monthly adoption day at the orphanage. She had grown used to what to expect. She had to help the younger girls get ready and watch as most of them went home with couples. She knew she would never get chosen. She had grown used to it. When she was younger, she had been so close to going home with a family, but then when people found out about her speech impairment, they immediately changed their mind and adopted another girl. People always thought that she wasn't intelligent, but in reality, the blonde was quite bright. She just had trouble putting her thoughts into words. She knew she wasn't always like that, but she couldn't remember much about how her life was before. She hardly remembered anything from before the accident. She brushed her tasseled, blonde curls away from her face and tried to fall back asleep, though she didn't fully relax until hours later.

"Glinny! Glinny! Wake up! I get to go home today!" Ebbie said as she jumped onto Galinda's cot.

"Uh… wh…" Galinda mumbled, slowly opening her eyes.

"Glinny, come on! We have to get ready!" Ebbie said as she tried to pull the older girl up, still jumping up and down.

"O… O-kay," Galinda said as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and yawned.

"Galinda, are all the girls ready?" the orphanage director, Madame Sygh, asked two hours later as she hurried down the hall towards the blonde.

"Yes," Galinda nodded.

"Good. Make sure they are downstairs by noon."

Galinda nodded again and watched the middle-aged woman hurry away. That afternoon, she saw many girls get to go home, including Ebbie, who cried as she hugged the blonde goodbye, promising her that she would get a good home, too. Galinda doubted that she would, but nevertheless hugged the little girl and watched as she left with a young couple. She tried not to let the feeling of envy slip into her subconscious, knowing how much it meant to Ebbie to get another chance at having a family. Once the adoption assembly was over, most of the girls had gone home with families. The rest of the girls went back up to their cots to unpack their limited belongings.

The next morning, Galinda was called down to Madame Sygh's office. She hurriedly got washed and dressed, then hurried down the stairs. The orphanage director was sitting at her desk, finishing a cup of tea when Galinda knocked. "Come in, Galinda."

The blonde slowly stepped into the office. "You… w-wanted… see me?"

"Yes, dear. Have a seat."

Galinda obeyed and sat across from the director.

"Galinda, you have been with us since you were three years old. That's quite a long time. Since you are now eighteen, and you haven't been adopted in your years here, the time has come for you to leave us."

Galinda blinked. She knew that she was now too old to stay at the orphanage, but she didn't know where else to go.

"Luckily, I have connections. I have gotten you a job at the Emerald City Palace as a maid to the princess."

"A… m-maid?" Galinda asked.

"You should be thankful that I managed to find you a job, Galinda. There aren't many jobs that you can have that won't be affected by your… disability."

Galinda hung her head. "I… sorry."

Madame Sygh regarded the younger girl. "I have connections within the palace and I was informed that they are looking for a new maid. I told them that you are skilled in sewing, mending, washing, cleaning, and the like. I didn't tell them about your oddity, since you will not be required to speak that much. Actually, the less speaking involved, the better. Nevertheless, you got the job. You will get on the train first thing tomorrow morning, then take a carriage to the palace when you arrive at Shiz Station. Am I understood?"

"Yes," Galinda nodded, her gaze still on the floor.

"Good. Pack your things. And wear your best dress for tomorrow. You may leave."

Galinda nodded again and hurried out of the office. She let go of the breath she had been holding. She was finally leaving the orphanage. And she was going to live in the palace. As she packed, she wondered what life would have in store for her. Maybe she'll finally go somewhere where she is accepted. She had heard stories about the Emerald City, about how grand and green everything was. And the princess. She had heard that she was very kind and wise, just like her father, the Wonderful Wizard. She had also heard that her skin was the same shade of green as the city where she resided. Everyone knew that it was a sign from the deities-that-be that she was destined, true royalty. She was the envy of all who saw her. She had magical powers and, every year at the Ozical Jubilee, used her powers to transform the entire square into a celebratory garden. She couldn't wait to see it all with her own eyes.

The next morning, Galinda was the first one up. She got washed and dressed in her simple blue, cotton dress, brushed her hair and packed her suitcase. After she said goodbye to all the girls, she met Madame Sygh in the foyer.

"Are you all ready, Galinda?" Madame Sygh asked when she saw the blonde, handing her an extra bag filled with food for her journey.

"Yes," Galinda nodded.

"Good. The coach is here to take you to the train station. Here is your ticket. Don't lose it. When you get off at Shiz, the carriage will already be waiting to take you to the palace. You should arrive there later this afternoon." The director regarded the blonde girl whom she had watched grow up and pulled her into a hug. "Ozspeed, my dear."

"Th-Thank… you," Galinda smiled, being released from the hug and waving to everyone as she left. The climbed into the carriage, placed her suitcase on the floor in front of her, and continued waving as it drove away. She reached the station before she knew it and was helped out of the carriage.

"Frottica! Frottica, everyone! All aboard at Frottica!" the conductor called, ringing a large, loud bell.

Galinda grabbed her suitcase and bag of food and boarded the train. A few moments after she found a seat, the doors closed and the train took off.

"Tickets, please!" the conductor said as he passed by, punching tickets.

Galinda handed him her tickets and he punched it, smiling. "Enjoy your trip, Miss."

"Th-Thank you," Galinda smiled as he walked away. She contently watched the passing scenery of the Gillikin whiz by her. The train made stops in Wittica, Settica, Red Sand, Dixxi House, then finally pulled into the final stop, Shiz.

"Shiz! This is the final stop! Shiz! Everyone off at Shiz!" the conductor called.

Galinda collected her things and stepped off the train. She immediately saw the small, emerald green carriage Madame Sygh said would be waiting for her.

"Galinda Upland?" the driver asked when he saw the blonde approaching him.

"Yes," Galinda nodded. "That's… me."

The driver blinked, then slowly shook his head as he took Galinda's suitcase and helped her into the carriage. A flick of the reigns and the carriage pulled off. Galinda found herself floating in and out of consciousness as the trip progresses. She was jolted awake more than once by bumps in the road, and did her best not to yelp. As evening fell, she heard the bustle of voices and opened her eyes, finding herself surrounded by green. She looked out the window and smiled, seeing all the sights and shops of the Emerald City. Everything was green, just as she had imagined it. As the carriage reached the center of the city, it slowed down and the blonde redirected her gaze to the grand palace. She gasped. It was even more magnificent than she had pictured it. She had never seen anything so grand before in her life.

The carriage stopped at the bottom of the steps leading up to the large double doors of the palace. Galinda found herself straining her neck to see the top, and even when she did, she still couldn't see it. The doors opened and a woman in an emerald green maid outfit stood at the top of the stairs. Galinda took her suitcase and quickly made her way up the stairs and stopped in front of the woman.

"Galinda Upland, I presume," the woman said.

Galinda nodded. "Yes."

"I am Madame Morrible, head maid here," the older woman said as she motioned for Galinda to follow her inside and the doors closed behind them. "I will first show you to your quarters, then a brief tour of the palace and an explanation of your duties here."

Galinda nodded again and followed the woman down multiple hallways and down a flight of stairs.

"These are the maids quarters. The maids are here and the male servants stay on the opposite side of the palace. The common room is this first door on the left. Every maid has her own room here, although you will hardly do anything here except sleep and dress." Morrible opened the third door on the right and led Galinda inside. "This will be your room. You will find that your uniform dresses and aprons are already inside the closet. You will be expected to be in perfect uniform when working. Your hair is to be always tied back in a bun and covered with this white bonnet. You are required to always be wearing stockings and white flats. You will work from Mondays to Saturdays and have Sundays off to do as you please. Your payment of fifty green pennies a week will be given to you every Saturday at the end of the day. If you do anything to displease the royal family, or any of your superiors, wages will be deducted for that week. As I understand it, you are here to personally serve Her Royal Highness, the princess, but you are also going to do extra chores around the palace. Are there any questions?"

In truth, Galinda wasn't able to follow along with everything that Madame Morrible had said. She couldn't ask for her to repeat herself, and she couldn't say that she didn't catch everything. She would just have to play it by ear and learn as she went along. "No, m-ma'am."

Morrible narrowed her eyes at the blonde's slight stutter, but said nothing. "Very well. You will find nightgowns in the dresser. Get some rest. I shall be back tomorrow morning at seven o'clock sharp to collect you and get you started on your duties. The bathroom is all the way down the hall. You will be sharing it with at least five of the other maids. Good evening, Miss Galinda."

Galinda curtsied slightly, not sure how she should act around the head maid, and watched her go. She took the opportunity to look around her room. There was a bed in the corner with an emerald quilt, sheet, and pillow, next to a below a draped window. She looked in her closet and found three long, emerald green, cotton dresses with long sleeves and a collar, along with three full-body white aprons. A pair of simple, white flats were on the floor of the small closet. The blonde tried them on, and smiled when they slipped onto her feet effortlessly. She looked in her dresser next. In the top dresser, she found two uniform white bonnets. In the middle drawer, she found she found stockings and undergarments. In the third drawer, she found her nightgowns. And the bottom drawer was empty, probably for her own personal use. The blonde stood up and continued the mini tour of her new room. There was a desk and chair across from her bed, with a stack of paper, and ink well and quill, and a candlestick lamp resting on the top. Next to that was a full-body mirror and a large clock.

She went back to her suitcase and unpacked the clothes she had brought with her and placed them in the bottom drawer. She decided to get washed that night to make her morning routine go much quicker the next morning. She found the bathroom and was relieved to find no one else in there. She quickly washed and put on her nightgown. She had a bit of trouble remembering which door was hers, since they all looked the same, then eventually found it and decided that she had to do something to label it as hers. She climbed into bed, which was much more comfortable than her cot in the orphanage, and drifted off to sleep, wondering what life in the palace would bring her way.

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 **The speech impairment Galinda has is called Broca's Aphasia. It is when the Broca's area in the left frontal lobe of the brain is damaged, causing effortful, non-fluent speech.**

 **I only pre-wrote the first 8 chapters, but I simply couldn't wait to share this with you all. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think!**


	2. A New Life

**I'm so glad you are all enjoying this story!**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: Oh, I can safely assure you that Morrible WON'T be the problem in this story.**

 **LifelongLeahstar: LOL! No, Ebbie is a nickname for one of my other OC names that I decided to use.**

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The next morning, Galinda was up before everyone else. She looked at the large clock in the corner and saw that it was still early. She was used to getting up pretty early at the orphanage, even if she was startled awake from a nightmare, so she got up and prepared for her first day working as a maid. She still didn't encounter any of the other maids, which she was still grateful for. Once she was finished, he hurried out of the bathroom and went back to her room, quickly dressing in her undergarments and maid's uniform, making sure her dress and apron were pressed. She brushed her hair and tied it back into a bun before putting on her maid's cap. She looked at herself in the mirror. This was it. She was ready. Or at least… she _thought_ she felt ready.

"Miss Galinda, are you ready?" Morrible asked as she knocked on the door.

Galinda opened the door and curtsied. "Yes. I'm… ready."

"Good. Follow me." Morrible said as she swiftly walked down the hall and up the stairs to the main floor of the castle. "His Royal Ozness has requested to see you. When you meet him, you will bow to him by kneeling and touching your forehead to the floor. Your hands will be straight in front of you, palms facing down. Your head will never be higher than his. You are not to look him in the eyes. And you are not to speak unless he directly tells you to speak. Understood?"

"Yes," Galinda nodded. Thankfully, she had been able to follow along with everything the head maid said.

"Good," Morrible said as they approached the large, green, double doors leading to the throne room.

"Who is she?" one of the guards asked, eyeing at Galinda skeptically.

Morrible curtsied to the guard. "Galinda Upland, Sir Harbur."

"She is to meet the Wizard?"

"Yes, sir."

"He sent for her?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then why is she dressed like that?"

Morrible looked at him. "Sir?"

"Why is she dressed like… a maid?"

"She is to be the new maid for Her Royal Highness."

The guard looked at Galinda, who had developed an interest in the floor, then looked to his guarding mate, then both of them burst into laughter. "A maid? A pretty little thing like this?"

"Yes, sir," Morrible said again.

"Why, I'm sure the Wizard would be able to think of something more… valuable for this little beauty to do with her time," he laughed.

Galinda shivered, knowing what the guard was referring to. Did they really think she would be the Wizard's bed maid?

"Well, His Ozness is above all that anyway," Sir Harbur said once both of them had stopped laughing, looking at his guarding mate, who eyes were hungrily staring at Galinda's chest. He nudged him and he snapped out of his daydream, but his eyes still rested on Galinda.

"Avaric, please tell his Ozness that Madame Morrible is here with the princess' new maid," Sir Harbur said.

"Right away!" Avaric said as he bowed, looked at Galinda once more, then disappeared into the throne room. He came out a few moments later, nodded, and Sir Harbur led the two maids into the throne room.

Galinda bit back a gasp of awe when she saw the Wizard sitting on a large, emerald green throne. He was a middle-aged man, probably in his mid-fifties. His royal robes were also green, with golden trimming. When he saw them approaching, his eyes narrowed slightly. Morrible and Galinda stopped a few feet away from the stairs leading up to the throne and bowed the way Morrible instructed.

"Is this her?" the Wizard spoke after a while.

"Yes, Your Royal Ozness," Sir Harbur said, bowing as he moved off to the side.

"Madame Morrible, you may leave us. Wait outside."

Morrible stood up, curtsied, then hurriedly left. The Wizard rose from his throne and stepped down to where Galinda was still bowing. The blonde felt his movements and stiffened, suddenly afraid.

"Up," was all he said to her.

Galinda slowly rose into a kneeling position, keeping her eyes on the Wizard's feet.

"What is your name?"

"G-Galinda… U-Upland," Galinda said timidly.

The Wizard looked at her and circled around her, but Galinda's didn't move. "How old are you, Galinda?"

"Eighteen, Your… Ozness."

The Wizard turned towards his steward. "She is to serve my daughter?"

"Yes, Your Ozness," the steward, Harv, bowed.

"She fits the requirements?"

"She is an orphan, from an orphanage in Frottica."

The Wizard turned back to Galinda. "You are from Frottica?"

Galinda shook her head. "No. From… Ten… Tenni… Tenn-i-ken."

The Wizard frowned and turned back to Harv. "Is there a reason she stutters so much?"

"Not that I know of, Your Ozness."

The Wizard turned back to Galinda. "Stand up."

Galinda quickly rose to her feet, making sure she never looked the Wizard in the eyes. She felt him take her chin and turn her head back and forth, examining her.

"Shall I contact the orphanage and tell them they send us a faulty girl?" the steward asked.

The Wizard finished examining Galinda and stood in front of her. "No. Leave us, Harv."

"Of course, Your Ozness," Harv said after a brief pause as he bowed and hurried away, leaving Galinda alone with the Wizard.

"Is there something wrong with you?" the Wizard asked frankly.

Galinda bit her lip. "I… think… fast-er… than… sp-speak."

The Wizard could tell that the girl was clearly not stupid. "This will not affect your work, correct?"

"No, Your O-Ozness."

The Wizard thought for a moment. Other than her speech problem, there didn't seem to be anything else wrong with the blonde orphan. She could still work. As long as she didn't talk unless absolutely necessary, things would be fine. He looked at Galinda, whose gaze was still on the floor as she waited for him to either say something else to her or dismiss her.

"Madame Morrible!" he called.

The doors opened and the older maid hurried in, dipping into a deep curtsy. "Yes, Your Ozness?"

"Take Galinda to meet my daughter."

"Right away, Your Ozness," Morrible said as she took Galinda's arm and pulled her out of the throne room. "He's pleased with you."

"H-How… do y-you… know?"

"Well, he hasn't ordered your execution upon meeting you." Morrible sighed, but led Galinda up the stairs. "This is the princess' room." She stopped in front of a large door and knocked three times.

"Enter," a female voice said from the other side.

Morrible turned the knob and pushed the door open, motioning for Galinda to follow her inside. "Good morning, Your Highness."

The princess turned around from the window. The first thing Galinda noticed was her emerald skin. She was truly as green as she had heard. Her long, raven hair was braided in an elegant waterfall braid, with her loose hair flowing down her back. Her chocolate eyes seemed to stare straight into Galinda's soul, and it unnerved her a bit. Her felt dress was the most beautiful shade of royal purple Galinda had ever seen, with flowing sleeves and golden trimming. She was tall, at least five inches above the blonde. Her facial features were sharp and defined, compared to Galinda's soft features.

"Who is this?" the princess asked, eyeing Galinda.

"Princess Elphaba, permit me to introduce Galinda Upland, your new maid," Morrible said.

Galinda curtsied and looked at the princess, waiting for her response. The princess stepped over to Galinda and stood over her, as if restating her authority over her. Galinda simply averted her gaze to the floor.

"Leave us," the princess said after staring the blonde down.

Morrible hesitated. "Your Highness, I believe there is something you should be made aware of before –"

"Leave us!"

Morrible stepped back, but nodded, curtsied, and left the room. Elphaba circled around the blonde, much like her father had done a few minutes prior. When she felt the princess stop, she slowly lifted her eyes once more and found Elphaba standing in front of her, frowning.

"So, what is your name again?" Elphaba said, rather dismissively.

"Galinda… Upland," Galinda answered.

"And where are you from?"

"T-Tenni-ken."

"You're Gillikinese?"

"Yes."

"Your accent is strong." Elphaba paused. "How old are you?"

"E-Eighteen."

"And what, pray tell, does you family do, or _don't_ do, that requires you to work here as my maid?"

Galinda gulped. "I… I… don't… h-have…"

"Why are you stuttering so much? Speak clearly when you are addressing me," Elphaba said, stepping closer.

Galinda took a step back. "I… I d-don't…"

"I said speak clearly. If you refuse to obey me, I will have your tongue cut out and you won't speak at all!"

"I… c-can't… p-please…"

Elphaba advanced at her and Galinda stepped back. This was not how she pictured her meeting the most idolized woman in Oz to be. "There is no _'can't'_. You will do as I say. No excuses." She grabbed the maid by the front of her dress and pulled her closer, so their noses were barely touching. Galinda's fear for her life was evident in her eyes and Elphaba's fury was evident in hers. The princess dropped the blonde and watched as she crumbled to the floor at her feet. "Are you ready to obey me, _bawa_?"

Galinda winced, hearing the extremely derogatory term for a servant. She looked at the floor, afraid to look up at the princess.

"You will answer me! Or I will deduct your wages for the week!"

"Yes," Galinda whispered, still looking at the floor.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, Y-Your… H-Highness."

Elphaba lifted her head. "Good. Now, get up." She watched as Galinda scrambled to her feet. "You will stay here and clean my room. After that, you will prepare my riding clothes for my lesson. Understood?"

"Y-Yes, Your H-Highness," Galinda curtsied.

"Good. Get to work," Elphaba commanded before she brushed past the blonde and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Galinda let out a breath and bit back tears as she began to clean the princess' room. She couldn't believe that had just happened. The princess was much more vindictive in person. Why was she like this? She quickly got out the princess' riding outfit and laid it out neatly on the bed. She heard footsteps approaching the room and the door opened. When she turned and saw Elphaba standing in the doorway, she immediately dipped into a curtsy.

"Your H-Highness…" she began.

"Don't speak unless you're spoken to," Elphaba snapped, glaring at the blonde.

Galinda averted her gaze and stepped aside as Elphaba approached her bed and examined the clothes.

"You got out the wrong clothes," Elphaba frowned. "These are for casual rides, not for my lessons. Get the dark silver clothes out. Quickly!"

Galinda went back to Elphaba's wardrobe and found the correct riding clothes she wanted. Once she was satisfied, Elphaba shooed Galinda out of the room, but told her to wait outside. She came out a few minutes later, wearing the riding clothes and her hair braided in a single braid down her back. She handed Galinda a white umbrella. "You are to follow me outside, making sure this umbrella stays over my head."

Galinda nodded and followed the princess, opening the umbrella and holding it over the princess' head once the walked outside. Galinda waited while the princess had her riding lesson with one of the best instructors in all of Oz and hurried over to her when she was done. She made sure the umbrella covered her as they walked back into the palace.

"Get my blue silk dress and help me out of these clothes," Elphaba commanded once they got back to the room.

Galinda nodded and went to do as the princess requested. She helped the princess undress to her undergarments and helped her into her new dress. Being in the orphanage helped her to become used to helping the other girls get dressed, but to be completely honest, seeing that the princess was truly green all over was a new sight for her.

"What are you staring at?" Elphaba snapped.

Galinda hadn't realized she was staring, and quickly turned away. "N-Nothing, Your… Highness." She quickly helped Elphaba into the dress.

"Undo my braid," Elphaba said as she sat down at her vanity.

Galinda undid the braid and took the hairbrush once Elphaba handed it to her. She brushed out the princess' locks and left it down at her request.

"You are a virgin, correct?"

The question caught Galinda so off-guard that she completely forgot the princess was speaking to her.

"I'm speaking to you, bawa."

"I… am."

Elphaba stood and crossed over to her window. "Because surely you must know that you must remain one if you wish to remain here." She paused and eyed her up and down. "You are an orphan, aren't you?"

 _Where are all these questions coming from?_ Galinda wondered. "Yes. I… am."

"So you will not be sending money to your home."

It wasn't a question. "No."

Elphaba lips twitched into a small smirk and she nodded. "You may leave now."

Galinda curtsied and left the princess, not knowing where her new life would lead her, but already knowing she didn't like where it was heading.

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 **Elphaba's dress is on my blog. And "bawa" is actually Hausa for "slave". Special thanks to Google Translate for helping me with that.**


	3. A Little More Trouble

**Wow! 13 reviews for the last chapter! Thank you all so much!**

 **Guest: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! *BLOWS NOISEMAKER***

 **PocketSevens: No, you're right. It's gonna get heavy pretty quickly.**

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At the end of the next day, when Galinda went back to her room, she was exhausted. She had no idea dealing with the princess would be this taxing. She didn't seem to like her very much, although the blonde had no idea why. From the moment she saw her, even before she heard her speak, she didn't like her. No matter what she did, nothing seemed to please the princess.

Even the other maids didn't seem to like her. She had met a few of them when she was walking around the palace. None of them had been too keen on talking long, though. They didn't seem busy or in a hurry, but they were very quick when talking to her. She never got more than a few words, usually telling her to do something, but they mostly ignored her. The only person who really spoke to her was Morrible, but only when giving her more instructions as to her duties around the palace, which Galinda did her best to follow.

"The Wizard is throwing a ball tonight. You will help the princess get ready," Morrible said as she carried a tray of dirty dishes in her hand. "She is waiting for you now. Go!"

Galinda curtisied and went to the princess' room.

"Enter!" Elphaba said when she heard Galinda knock.

Galinda entered and curtsied, and Elphaba looked up from her book. "Well, it took you long enough."

"I'm… sorry," Galinda said softly.

Elphaba huffed as she got up, placing her book on her desk. "Well, don't just stand there. Get my dress."

Galinda hurried to Elphaba's wardrobe. "Which…"

"Get the gold one. The lace one with the patterns."

The blonde retrieved said dress and laid it out on the princess' bed. She helped the princess undress and into her ball gown. Elphaba then moved to sit at her vanity and Galinda took the cue to brush her hair. Elphaba watched Galinda intently as she brushed her hair through narrowed eyes.

"Be careful! I do not wish to become bald because you don't know how to be gentle!" Elphaba snapped.

"F-For-give me," Galinda said, being more gentle.

"Although, I don't know what I was expecting from an _orphan_."

Galinda knew she shouldn't comment on that, so she simply continued to brush the princess' hair and styled it into an elegant braided bun.

"I suppose this will have to do," Elphaba said as she looked at herself in the mirror once Galinda was finished. "Make sure everything is ready for me when I return."

Galinda nodded and curtsied as Elphaba left. Once she was sure the princess was gone from the hallway, Galinda quickly fled. She had just gone down the stairs and turned the corner when she almost ran into one of the guards. She quickly stopped and curtsied, immediately recognizing him as the one who wouldn't stop staring at her chest. Avaric, wasn't it?

"Well, hello there," the guard said hungrily. "I remember you. But you don't remember me, do you?"

"I… r-rem-remem… ber," Galinda said, her gaze still on the floor.

Avaric smiled. "I wouldn't want you to forget me. I'm pretty unforgettable." He took a step towards Galinda, but she took a step back. "Where are you off to?"

"N-Nowhere."

"You must be going somewhere. You were in a hurry."

"N-Nowhere," Galinda repeated, obviously still wanting to get away.

The guard took a step closer to Galinda and managed to wrap his arm around her waist. Galinda stiffened and immediately began twisting, trying to get away.

"Not so fast, my little beauty. There's no rush. We have plenty of time."

Tears formed in Galinda's eyes, but she finally managed to twist out of Avaric's arms and ran as fast as she could. She had to get away from him. She didn't want to be anywhere near him or anyone else at the moment. She fled back to her room, ignoring the looks the other maids gave her, and collapsed onto her bed. She hugged her pillow against her chest and cried everything out. She must have cried herself to sleep, because the next thing she knew, it was late evening. She looked at the clock and realized that the ball had been over for twenty minutes. Knowing she was going to face the wrath of the princess, she got up, made sure she looked presentable, and hurried out of her room.

"There you are, bawa! Where were you and why isn't my bed prepared?" Elphaba snarled when Galinda appeared in her open doorway.

"I… a-apolo-gize," Galinda said as she curtsied.

"Enough! Get my nightgown and help me undress."

Galinda did as she was told and quickly helped the princess undress and prepare for bed.

"And one more thing," Elphaba said, calling Galinda back after she had dismissed her. "You are not to eat meals tomorrow. Maybe that will teach you not to be late."

Galinda's eyes widened. "Your… H-Highness…"

Elphaba held up her hand to silence her, but it looked more like she was about to slap her. "Do you want no meals _and_ no wages?"

Galinda shut her mouth and shook her head.

"Then obey me, bawa! And I will make _sure_ that you do."

Galinda curtsied again and fled. No meals for a whole day. She couldn't. If she didn't eat, she would be a severe migraine. And there's no telling what would happen if she also had to work. She closed the door to her room and reached under her bed for her bag of food from the orphanage. She found two apples and a pear left inside. The blonde let out a sigh. She could let these snacks hold her for the day. No one would know.

The next morning, Galinda woke up early, washed and dressed, and ate one of the apples. She threw out the core and washed her hands, making sure there was no evidence that she had eaten anything. Once she was ready, she went to check on the princess.

"Well, looks like not eating makes you punctual," Elphaba said once Galinda came in. "Get out my crimson dress. The one with the silk over-lace."

Galinda nodded and went to do as the princess requested. The quicker she got done, the quicker she could leave. And she very much wanted to leave.

"Just braid my hair," Elphaba said as Galinda ran the brush through her raven locks.

Galinda did as she was told and soon, the princess was out of the room. Galinda let out a sigh and went back to her room. She collapsed onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow. She didn't know how much more of the princess she could take. She was free until lunch, but that thought ended when Morrible came to find her and told her that she was needed in the kitchen to help prepare the food. Galinda thought it was cruel that she was to be working around food when she wouldn't be allowed to eat. She wasn't very hungry, but she didn't want to risk getting a headache. Nevertheless, she did her job, but no matter what she did, no one was happy with her.

"There you are. The princess is waiting for you," Morrible said when she saw the blonde again.

"Why?" Galinda asked, turning towards the older maid.

"Don't ask questions! Just go!" Morrible said, pushing the girl in the direction of the stairs.

Galinda hurried away and went to attend to the princess. She found her sitting on her bed, staring off into space. Her lips curled into a frown, as if something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Your… Highness?" Galinda said softly.

Elphaba jumped and whipped around to face Galinda. "What are you doing here unsummoned?"

Galinda looked confused. "You… sent… for me."

"I did no such thing, you ignorant savage. And _you_ will _not_ tell _me_ what I did."

Galinda hung her head, fearing she had angered the princess even more.

"But since you are here now, it saves me the trouble of calling for you. When will lunch be ready?"

"A f-few… m-m-min-utes."

Elphaba slowly rose to her feet and went to look out her window. "It would be much easier to understand you if your accent wasn't so strong. I suppose we can't do anything about that. Or your annoying stuttering." She turned to look at Galinda. "You never did tell me what was wrong with you. Why do you stutter so much, since it appears to be something you have no control over."

"A-Accident… killed… p-parents… injured… me," Galinda said slowly, still not quite meeting the princess' gaze.

Elphaba crossed her arms. "What kind of accident?"

"C-Carriage."

A silence lapsed between the two. Galinda slowly looked up to see Elphaba still looking at her, as if reevaluating her based on this new information. "Do you remember anything else about them?"

"No."

"I guess that is to be expected."

"Excuse me, Your Highness, but lunch is ready," one of the other maids said as she appeared in the doorway and curtsied.

Elphaba nodded and watched as she left. She moved past Galinda and vanished from sight without another word. Galinda wanted to wonder why the princess was suddenly interested in her. She supposed that she had to know more about her since she was working for her, but that didn't mean she had to care. And she refused to make herself believe that the princess actually cared.

The next morning, when Galinda woke up, she immediately felt a sharp pain in her head. She closed her eyes slowly and the feeling passed. After getting ready, she went to Elphaba's room, she found her still in bed, curled in a ball. Elphaba must have heard her footsteps, because she looked up, trying to force the expression of pain from her face. "What are you doing, coming in here without knocking?"

"I… knocked… Your H-Highness," Galinda said timidly.

"Did I permit you to enter?"

"N-No."

"So why are you in my room?"

"I knocked… t-three… times… you… did-n't… an-answer."

Elphaba narrowed her eyes, daring the blonde to say more. Galinda noticed the change, curtsied, made to leave, but Elphaba called her back. "Stop."

Galinda stopped.

Elphaba pushed herself up more and sighed. "Prepare a warm bath for me."

Galinda nodded and went into the princess' private bathroom and went to prepare the bath. When she was finished, she found Elphaba leaning against the doorframe in an emerald green bathrobe that matched the hue of her skin.

"While I'm in here, you are to change the sheets and bring up my breakfast. I will be eating in my room today," she said.

"Yes, Your… H-Highness," Galinda said, moving out of the princess' way as she passed.

As the princess bathed, Galinda went to change the princess' sheets. When she pulled back the emerald comforter, she noticed a bloodstain on the sheets. She gasped softly, then realized another bloodstain on the princess' nightgown, near where her… It clicked for Galinda. She knew that the princess would be more irritable than normal, so she would have to be extra careful. She felt the sharp pain in her head again. She tried to close her eyes against it, but it felt as though it was spreading. She quickly changed the sheets and took the nightgown away to be washed, her migraine was slowly becoming worse. What was going on? She wasn't even aware of Elphaba's presence until she heard her shouting behind her.

"I was calling you! Everyone in the palace heard me except you!" Elphaba frowned when Galinda turned around. "Take out the simple brown dress from my wardrobe. I will stay in here all day and I am not to be disturbed."

"Yes, Y-Your… Highness," Galinda curtsied as she helped Elphaba into the dress.

"Bring up some tea," Elphaba said as she got back into bed, wincing slightly.

Galinda nodded and disappeared. As she carried the tray of tea on her way back to the princess' room, Galinda felt the migraine becoming stronger and she suddenly remembered something; her medicine. She had to take her medicine everyday to help lessen the symptoms of her injury. Blinking, she tried to remember the last time she took it. It must have been back at the orphanage. She had been so busy here she had completely forgotten. Did she even pack it? She didn't have time to check; she was right in front of the princess' door.

"Enter," Elphaba said weakly when Galinda knocked.

Galinda came in and went over to the princess, her migraine getting worse by the clock-tick.

"What took you so long?" Elphaba asked, but to Galinda, it sounded like she was yelling directly in her ear. She winced, begging her head to stop hurting.

"What is wrong with you? I am speaking to you," Elphaba frowned, sitting up.

"I… I…" Galinda felt like she was going to throw up. She vision went black, but she was pulled back when she heard the princess scream.

"You stupid, foolish bawa!" Elphaba cried, pushing Galinda away from her.

Galinda realized that she had spilled the tea all over the princess' front, the hot liquid soaking through her dress. She moved closer to help her, but Elphaba only pushed her away again.

"I… s-so… s-s-sorry," Galinda whispered, not knowing what she should do.

Elphaba growled and pushed herself up. She grabbed Galinda by the front of her dress, causing her to drop the tray. "How dare you! How could you be this clumsy?"

"I… s-sorry," Galinda pleaded.

"You will get me a new dress this instant! And you will change the bedding again!"

"Your… Highness…" Galinda whispered.

"You will not eat anything for the rest of the day again, nor will you receive your wages this week!"

"P-Princess… p-please…"

"My order has been given! Do as I say!"

"I… p-please…"

"Why are you still talking? I have already told you what to do. Now, do it!"

"I… s-sorry… please… h-hurting… me…" the blonde whimpered as Elphaba pulled her closer.

"Obey me, bawa! I will not repeat myself again. Get me another dress so I can remove this one, which you have soiled!" She threw the maid to the ground and watched as she groveled at her feet.

Galinda quickly scrambled to her full height and went to fetch the princess another dress. When she returned, Elphaba grunted and slapped the blonde across the face. She fell to the floor again, not daring to look up at the green girl.

"Get. Out," Elphaba sneered, her voice filled with venom.

The blonde scrambled to her feet once more and ran out of the room, tears filling her eyes. Her hand stayed pressed against her cheek. She passed some of the other maids and a few guards as she fled, but paid them no mind. No one else seemed to exist as she ran through the halls to her room. She knelt down next to her bed as she cried out her pain. Crying seemed to make her migraine worse, which only made her cry even more. She must have eventually cried herself to sleep, because when she woke up, it was early evening. She was able to get a bag of ice from the kitchen staff, who seemed less than sympathetic and didn't seem to care about her plight.

She quickly went back into her room, her tears spent. She knew the princess would not want to see her for the rest of the day. She chose to blame the princess' behavior and extra irritability mostly on her "monthly visitor", but felt that there was something else wrong. Something more. Something that she didn't know, nor would she ever know.


	4. A Different Side

When Galinda opened her eyes the next morning, she simply laid in bed, unmoving and looking up at the ceiling. She didn't want to get up. She couldn't. Not after what happened the previous day. She couldn't face the princess again. She wouldn't be getting paid for her week's work, so she didn't see the point in getting up.

"Miss Galinda, it's time to get up now!" Morrible called as she pounded on the blonde's door.

Galinda groaned and rolled over, burying her face in her pillow. Morrible took the silence as a "come in" and opened the door. "Miss Galinda, you must get up now. Her Highness will be waiting for you."

Galinda slowly lifted her head. "I…"

"No time for talk. Come on and get ready! You're almost late."

The blonde slowly got out of bed and got herself ready. She made sure she looked presentable before going to the princess, desperately trying to ignore her stomach growling.

"There you are," Elphaba said when Galinda came in. "I was waiting."

Galinda curtsied. "I'm s-sorry."

"You look like death. I thought you would have fled after yesterday, then I remembered that there is nowhere you could possibly go. With no family or money, that is."

Galinda bit back a frown. Elphaba was right, but that didn't mean she had to be reminded of it. It's wasn't like she would forget or something.

"Well, don't just stand there. I have things to do today."

The blonde hurried over to her mistress and helped her get ready. "What…"

"I will wear the blue gown today. The one in the back," Elphaba interrupted. She seemed to struggle with herself, but quickly pushed it away. "And get the corset from the top dresser drawer."

Galinda got what the princess asked for and began to help her with the corset. Elphaba looked at the corset with a look Galinda quickly identified as apprehensiveness, but it quickly faded as she glared at the blonde.

"Tighter!" she commanded, holding onto the foot of her bed to keep her balance. "Tighter!"

Galinda pulled on the strings with all her strength. She didn't want to hurt the princess, for fear of what she would do.

"Pull it tighter, bawa! I said tigh-" Elphaba was cut off when Galinda gave one final pull and the corset tightened suddenly, and quickly, around Elphaba. The green girl gasped, the air being pushed out of her lungs. She made a noise in the back of her throat, but whether it was from the surprise or sudden lack of air, Galinda didn't know.

The blonde had to hold back a smile. The sight of seeing the princess speechless, even if it was from a lack of air, was a bit amusing. And she felt like she deserved this little bit of amusement, especially after everything she had been through with her. But a small part of her wondered why the princess would even want to wear the corset in the first place. She wasn't exactly the fullest girl in Oz, and the corset barely did anything except temporarily cut off her air supply.

"Don't… just stand there," Elphaba breathed, closing her eyes. "Get… the dress."

Galinda quickly helped her into the dress. In truth, Elphaba would have fit into the dress without the corset. The princess looked at her reflection in the mirror, getting a far away look in her eyes. A moment later, she looked at Galinda through the mirror, who was waiting for her with the hairbrush, and sat down at her vanity.

"You don't have to go so fast," Elphaba frowned, feeling Galinda hurry with her hair.

"… S-Sorry…" Galinda whispered, slowing down a bit, and quickly finished Elphaba's hair.

"You can… leave it down," Elphaba said, sounding somewhat disappointed as Galinda finished. Once she was finished, the green girl got up and looked at Galinda. The blonde met her gaze for a second, then looked down.

"Once everyone is finished, you may eat your breakfast," she said simply.

Galinda slowly lifted her eyes and curtsied. "Th-Thank… you, Y-Your… Highness."

Elphaba regarded her maid before turning on her heels and leaving. Galinda finally allowed herself to smile for what seemed like the first time since she arrived at the palace. Maybe the princess wasn't as terrible as she had been acting.

Galinda had forgotten how good actual food was, but her taste buds were quick to remind her as she ate a bowl of mixed fruit and juice. She ate until she was satisfied and had time to herself until after lunch.

"I heard that Captain Tigulaar is coming back this afternoon," one of the maids, Nuna, said in the maids' common room as Galinda walked in.

"I heard that, too. I also heard that he is now supposed to marry the princess," the other maid, Jutsa, said as she finished mending an apron. "I finished your apron, Maylah."

"Thanks, Justa," Maylah smiled, taking her apron and neatly folded it. "And why is Captain Tigulaar going to marry the princess?"

"I heard that he captured the other half of the Burskerns Mountain Range. The one on the border with Ugabu."

"Pretty special," Justa muttered, and the other two girls laughed.

"Oh, Galinda, we didn't notice you," Maylah said, her voice dripping with insincerity. The other two girls smirked.

Galinda nodded to them as she sat in a chair on the opposite side of the room.

"I'm surprised you're still here, Galinda," Justa said too casually. "I mean, after you angered the princess the way you did, I didn't think you would still be here."

Galinda looked up at them, but didn't say anything. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

"What did you say your family did again, Galinda?" Nuna asked, leaning in towards the blonde.

"Nuna, you tease. She's an orphan," Justa said, elbowing her friend.

"Oh, right. I forgot. I'm terribly sorry," Nuna said, feigning pity, but Galinda knew better. She didn't forget, nor was she sorry.

"Well, girls, we'd better get back to work. We don't want to end up like some other girls," Justa said as she rose to her feet, motioning for the other girls to do the same.

"Why doesn't she talk?" Maylah asked, looking back at Galinda as they neared the door.

"She's probably just too stupid. I've barely heard her say more than two words since she got here," Nuna shrugged.

"Her speech is broken. She doesn't talk in complete sentences."

"I've heard two-year-olds with better speech than her."

The three girls weren't exactly whispering, and Galinda heard every word. She didn't care, though. She couldn't allow herself to care. She was here for one reason and one reason only; to serve the princess. If she allowed herself to care, she would be a complete wreck.

After lunch, she went to go check on the princess and see if she needed anything.

"Enter," she heard Elphaba say from the other side and she slowly opened the door.

Elphaba looked up and Galinda curtsied. Galinda couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw the princess look upset about something before she it was replaced with hardness.

"What are you doing here?" Elphaba asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Came… to s-see… if you… need-ed any-thing," Galinda said softly.

"Oh," Elphaba said, looking around her room, seeing if there was anything for the blonde to do. "No. There's nothing. You may go."

Galinda curtsied and turned to go.

"Wait!" Elphaba called when she reached the door.

Galinda turned. "Your… H-Highness?"

Elphaba paused. She looked like she wanted to say something, but no words came out. "Never mind. Go."

Galinda nodded and left. She had just reached the bottom of the stairs when Morrible found her and told her to inform the princess of the captain's arrival. Galinda nodded and immediately went back up the stairs, but paused in front of the princess' door. She weighted the pros and cons of knocking, then decided that it was better to obey Morrible at the moment.

"Enter."

Galinda opened the door and braced herself, though Elphaba seemed more surprised than angry. "Yes?"

"Cap-tain… T-Tigulaar… is here."

Elphaba seemed to straighten even more, (if that was possible, since she was still wearing the corset). "Thank you." She got up and walked past Galinda.

 _That was the first time she has ever thanked me_ , Galinda thought, smiling softly. _And probably the only time._

After lunch, Morrible had told Galinda that Elphaba had gone out in the gardens for a stroll with the captain, which meant that Galinda had extra time to herself. The blonde thanked the older maid and went back to her room. She laid in her bed, allowing her mind to wonder. She thought about Ebbie and the other girls from the orphanage. She wondered if they got any new girls, and if anyone else had left. She thought of Madame Sygh, and if she had managed to find that assistant she had wanted to hire for quite some time.

"Miss Galinda, the princess has called for you," Morrible said, knocking on Galinda's door.

"Thank… you," Galinda said as she opened the door and curtsied to the older maid.

Morrible nodded and went about her duties, while Galinda went up to the princess. The door was left open, and Galinda made to knock, but something stopped her.

Elphaba was looking at her reflection in the mirror, softly touching her cheek, and she didn't look happy. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths, seemingly trying to calm herself.

"Your… H-Highness?"

Elphaba let out a surprised noise, and whipped around to see the blonde. "You… startled me." She didn't sound angry, which was a surprise to the blonde. She had expected Elphaba to yell at her.

"I'm s-sorry," Galinda apologized.

Elphaba nodded and looked back at the mirror. She frowned and turned back to Galinda. "Help me out of this dress."

Galinda hurried over and helped the princess out of the dress and corset. Elphaba let out of breath of pure relief as Galinda loosened the strings.

"Please prepare a bath," Elphaba said as she quickly put on her robe. "And add the bath salts. The purple ones."

"Of… c-course." Galinda hurried away into the bathroom and prepared the bath. She put away for later knowledge that the princess just said "please" to her.

While Elphaba soaked in the bath, Galinda remade the bed and prepared a new dress for the princess. When Elphaba came out and saw what Galinda had laid out for her, she frowned. Galinda noticed and immediately went to put that one back and take out another one.

"No… no, that one's fine," Elphaba said quickly, allowing Galinda to help her into the dress. She looked at herself in the mirror again. She seemed calmer than before. "Thank you."

 _Two thank yous in one day?_ Galinda wondered. _Something must be wrong._

"Is… that… all?" Galinda asked, not wanting to just stand there.

"Yes, that is all. You may go."

Galinda nodded and left the princess. While she was walking down the stairs, she saw Captain Tigulaar. She knew it was him because of his decorated coat. His brown hair was neatly combed and his brown eyes sparkled with youthful passion. He was tall and of average-build. Everything about him seemed perfect.

The captain took notice of Galinda, who immediately knelt down and lowered her gaze. Fiyero stepped over to her and looked down, as if analyzing whether or not he should speak to her.

"Who are you?" was what he finally decided on.

"Galinda… U-Upland," Galinda said.

"You are the princess' maid?"

"Yes, s-sir."

"Stand up."

Galinda rose, but still kept her gaze lowered. She felt Fiyero circle around her and wondered why everyone wanted to do that to her.

"Has the princess spoke of me since we met?"

Galinda shook her head. "N-No, sir."

"Nothing that you are aware of?"

Galinda shook her head again.

Fiyero sighed, seemingly disappointed. "Very well, then. You may go back to whatever you were doing." He turned and marched down the hallway and disappeared down a corner.

Galinda tried to shake off how handsome the captain looked. She knew she could never talk to him. As a servant, she wasn't supposed to. He was the captain of the Wizard's soldiers, and she was the princess' maid. He was engaged to her mistress. They were going to fall in love and be married. Maybe she could save up enough money to make her own living, but she was only getting fifty green pennies a week. It would take her a lifetime to save up enough. She would just have to make-do with what she had.

* * *

 **I have good news to share for everyone! I have officially committed to my top college and sent in the deposit last night! I can't wait! Please keep reviewing! I'm so glad you all are enjoying my 80th (:-D) story!**


	5. A Confession

**NellytheActress: Why do you think Elphaba's been acting the way she's been acting? And happy birthday! *Blows noisemaker***

 **TimberPaws: I can honestly say that Fiyero is the least of our problems. At least… for right now.**

 **RavenCurls: Thank you! And again, Fiyero won't be a problem… just yet.**

* * *

As the weeks went on, Galinda began to get the hang of her job. She went to the princess every morning, helped her get dressed, ate breakfast, and then went about her other duties until her lunch break. It was beginning to get colder, and Elphaba stopped taking her afternoon walks in the garden, which meant Galinda had more time to herself. The other maids continued to either ignore her or talk about her behind her back, but Galinda had stopped paying attention to them. She had more important things to worry about.

As time passed, Galinda began to notice a change in Elphaba. She wasn't being as harsh as she was when they first met. She didn't yell at Galinda as much, in fact, she became quieter around the blonde. She had been spending more and more time with her apparent fiancée, and would always return to her room looking exhausted and sad. They had developed a silent way of communicating. Galinda seemed to know what to do before Elphaba told her to do it. At first, Elphaba was surprised, but never said anything about it. A routine was developed between the two and very few words would have to be exchanged.

One afternoon, Elphaba called Galinda after lunch. She had just finished meeting with her father about her wedding and the captain had requested to take Elphaba on a brief walk through the gardens, despite the dropping temperatures.

"I will wear the blue dress. The cotton one on the far right," Elphaba said when Galinda appeared.

The blonde curtsied and went to get the dress. Once she was finished, she brushed Elphaba's hair and pulled it back into a braid. As soon as she was finished, Elphaba got up and went to look at herself in the mirror.

"Do you think he'll like it?" Elphaba asked as she stared at her reflection.

It took Galinda a moment to register that it wasn't a rhetorical question. "C-Captain…"

"I don't mean Fiyero. I mean my father."

Galinda blinked. The princess seemed softer than she had ever seen her before. She didn't have the hardness in her eyes she had grown accustomed to seeing. "V-Very… pretty…"

"Is it enough?"

Galinda had no idea what the princess meant. She had no idea how to respond. But, frankly, Elphaba must not have wanted her to since she continued speaking.

"The captain… he's… my father really likes him. I had a feeling I was going to marry him for a while, even before he conquered the rest of that stupid mountain range. I mean… it's just mountains. Nothing is even there."

Galinda simply watched as the princess went to sit on her bed. "I was always some prize to him. A prize he knew he could win if he did some great act that pleased my father. Even though almost everyone believes that there are gold and other riches hidden in those mountains, I don't believe any of it." She turned her head away from the blonde and looked out the window. "I know that the captain personally doesn't care about me. He just wants the respect and high position that comes with being my husband. He wants to rule Oz when my father dies. Bring me that book on my desk."

Galinda went and retrieved the book on the princess' desk and read the title. _'Reflection'_. She handed it to Elphaba, who held it like a precious artifact.

"Sit down."

Galinda moved away and made to sit in a chair in the corner, but Elphaba held up her hand to stop her. "No," she said softly. She pointed at her feet. "Here."

Galinda paused briefly and blinked in surprise. Kneeling at the feet of a royal was something she knew was only allowed for individuals that were close to a member of the royal family. _Well,_ Galinda thought. _I am her personal maid._ _That's as close as we'll ever be, I suppose._ She knelt down at Elphaba's feet and looked up at her.

"I used to read books about romance and people marrying for love," Elphaba said, trailing her green fingers over the cover. "I've always wanted something like that. I knew that I could never have it, especially with who I am, but I kept hoping and dreaming. I never mentioned this to my father, because I knew he wouldn't have allowed it. He's been searching for a suitable, respectable husband for me for years, without even asking me what I want. But I guess that's life. That's just the way things are."  
She looked at Galinda, who was still listening attentively, then looked back at the book. "I could rule Oz by myself if I wanted to. Be the first ruling female queen. I wouldn't need a man by my side telling me what to do and how to do it. I could do what I want, make Oz a better place. But I can't. Once I marry Fiyero, I lose most of my power. Maybe I'll be able to oversee the hiring of maids or whatnot, but I won't be able to do anything worthwhile." She put the book aside. "I tried to tell my father that I didn't want to do this, but I couldn't. Not when he looked so happy that I would be marrying his favorite captain. I'm only doing this to please him. On the first day of the new year, all of this ends."

Galinda was surprised. The princess was talking to her. Not yelling or screaming or condemning her, but speaking to her _calmly_. She simply listened to Elphaba's story. Maybe she needed to do this. Maybe she had to talk to someone and the only someone she could think of was her maid. Was this even appropriate for her to be doing? To Galinda, it felt like Elphaba was fixing the bridge between their two positions, but she didn't dare to get her hopes up.

"How… how old were you when your parents died?" Elphaba asked suddenly.

 _Well, that's one way to change the subject._ "… Three…" Galinda answered, lowering her gaze slightly.

"Have you… despite being an orphan… have you ever thought about… love?"

Galinda met the princess' gaze and saw how desperate she looked. But in truth, the last thing Galinda had ever thought about, or experienced, was love. "N-Not… really."

Elphaba was silent for a moment. "I often think about whether or not my parents actually loved each other. My father hardly talks about my mother, and I don't know too much about her. I know that she was the youngest daughter of a king from a country far from Oz, across the Nonestic Ocean. Her name was Melena. I don't know much about what she looked like, but I know she wasn't green. I like to think that she looked like me, minus the green skin. I don't know how she interacted with my father or if they even interacted at all. I know they were only married for five months before she became pregnant with me. I found an old wedding invitation and did the math."

Galinda didn't know if she should ask Elphaba what happened to her mother. She wanted to know, but she didn't know if it was her place to ask. But since she was already in an intimate setting, she decided to try it. "What… h-happened… to her?"

Elphaba looked down at the blonde, obviously not expecting her to ask a question. Galinda looked down and muttered an apology, but the princess shook her head. "It's alright." She took a breath. "Weeks before she was due to give birth to me, she got sick. No one knew what she had or what to do. All the doctors thought she would die, until an apothecary came up with what he thought was a solution. He gave her this mysterious green elixir to drink every morning and night until I was born. It made her live long enough to give birth to me, but she died shortly after. I was told that she died right after seeing me for the first time and naming me."

"I'm… sorry," Galinda whispered.

"It's alright. I've never met her, so it doesn't matter. Love is a very rare thing, and true love is practically non-existent. That type of thing only exists in stories." She looked over at the book. "It's not real."

Galinda looked up at the princess. Maybe she wasn't as bad as she thought. She was just like most other girls in Oz; a girl wanting to marry someone who could love her. She was about to say something when a knock at the door interrupted her. She jumped up and stumbled back just as Elphaba stood and told whomever it was to enter.

"Excuse me, Your Highness," one of the servants said as he came in. "Captain Tigulaar has requested your presence in the sitting room."

"Thank you," Elphaba nodded as the servant bowed and exited. She turned back to the blonde and smiled softly. "And… thank you… Galinda… for… listening."

The maid nodded and curtsied, hiding her smile as Elphaba left. _That's the first time she called me by my name,_ Galinda thought. _I had thought she had forgotten it by now._

The two continued with their routine. Elphaba continued to be nicer to Galinda, and though the blonde was very grateful, she didn't expect any more heart-to-hearts. As days turned into weeks, Elphaba had completely stopped calling Galinda "bawa" and started calling her by her real name. Galinda took this as a sort of peace offering and accepted it with great satisfaction. She also had a few more encounters with Avaric, but so far, she had been able to escape unharmed.

One cold Saturday afternoon in late November, Galinda was mending one of Elphaba's dresses in her room when someone started pounding on her door.

"Miss Galinda!" Morrible cried. "Open up immediately!"

Galinda jumped up and opened the door, almost getting pounded in the face by Morrible. "M-Madame?"

"The Wizard has summoned you to the throne room! Hurry up this instant!" Morrible said, grabbing the blonde by the wrist and pulling her behind her. Once the reached the throne room, the guards opened the door for her and Galinda took a moment to recover before calmly walking inside. She stopped when she reached the bottom of the stairs leading to the throne and noticed Elphaba sitting next to her father. She bowed to the Wizard, waiting for him to speak.

"Rise, Galinda," the Wizard said.

Galinda slowly rose and glanced up at the Wizard before averting her gaze back to the ground.

"My daughter tells me that you two have become… closer these past few months."

Galinda remained silent, not sure where the Wizard was going with this.

"I am well aware that my daughter gets lonely from time to time. So, in light of that, she has requested that you be selected to be her lady-in-waiting."

Galinda lifted her gaze to the Wizard and Elphaba. The princess' lips were curled in the slightest of smiles, though she was clearly enjoying this moment.

"You are still to tend to her, but not on a maid's level. You will accompany her whenever and wherever she chooses and see to it that she remains happy."

Elphaba ever-so-slight smile faltered slightly at that last part.

"Understood?" the Wizard asked, signaling for Galinda to rise to her full height.

"Yes… Y-Your Ozness," Galinda said as she curtsied. "Th-Thank you."

"It is up to my daughter to do with her maids whatever she wishes. And apparently, this is what she wishes," the Wizard said, looking over at his daughter.

"It is, Father," Elphaba nodded.

"Although it is very rare and a bit unconventional for a lady-in-waiting to be chosen from among common maids, it's what my daughter wants. Very well. It is so," the Wizard said. "You will move out of the maids quarters and into the spare bedroom down the hall from my daughter. You may leave, Galinda."

"Th-Thank you, Your Oz-ness," Galinda curtsied. She looked at Elphaba and smiled softly before leaving. She hurried back to her room and closed the door. Leaning against it, she took a deep breath before slowly sliding to the floor. She was going to be Elphaba's companion. She couldn't believe it. She wasn't going to be a maid anymore. She would actually hold a position that was respected. She would have some more control over her own life.

She moved into her new room later that week. It was much bigger; at least three times the size of her old maid's room. There was a much bigger, more comfortable-looking, queen-sized bed and a whole wardrobe full of new dresses and shoes. She looked through them, enjoying the silk, felt and cotton textures beneath her fingertips. She unpacked the rest of her belongings and settled in. She looked at her current outfit and realized that she should probably change, since she wasn't a maid anymore. She chose a pale pink felt dress with a bow in the back and took her hair out of the maid cap and bun, allowing her golden curls to flow down her shoulders.

"Do you like it?"

Galinda turned and saw Elphaba standing in the doorway. "Yes, Your… H-Highness."

"You… You don't have to call me that anymore. At least, not when we're alone. You can… call me Elphaba."

"E-El-pha-b-ba," Galinda said slowly.

Elphaba realized that it might be hard for Galinda to say her name. She knew how frustrated Galinda got when she tried to say something, especially when no one really understood what she was trying to say. "You can… um… what is that term used for a shortened name?"

"A… n-nickname?" Galinda supplied.

The corners of Elphaba's lips twitched. "Yes, that." She walked into the room and sat down on Galinda's bed. "Give me one."

Galinda paused. She had never given anyone a nickname before. And no one bothered to give her one, either. She never really had any friends. Then again, she didn't think the princess had any friends, either. "I… don't know."

"You've never given anyone a nickname before? No one at the orphanage?" Elphaba asked.

"No." Galinda shook her head.

"Oh."

Galinda continued to think. Did she really want to be a companion with the princess after everything she put her through? The pay was much higher, one hundred fifty green pennies a week, but was it still worth it? "… Elphie…?" she tried.

"Elphie?" Elphaba repeated, frowning slightly. "It's a little… perky." She paused for a moment. "I… like it." She patted a spot next to her on the bed and Galinda sat down. "And what shall I call you?"

Galinda pretended to think for a moment. "G-Ga-lin-da."

Elphaba made a noise in the back of her throat that sounded like a laugh, but Galinda wasn't completely positive. "What about… Glin?"

The blonde smiled softly and nodded. "Glin."

The two sat in silence. Elphaba looked around Galinda's new room and the blonde looked at Elphaba.

"Galinda," Elphaba said after a while. "Do you… really want to be friends with me? After everything I did to you?"

 _Friends?_ Galinda wondered. She knew that there was a fine line between "companionship" and "friendship", and Elphaba wanted to cross that line. Could they even be friends? "You n-need… friend," she said softly.

"I was awful to you," Elphaba pointed out.

"Your h-happiness… my job. Would f-friend-ship… m-make you… h-happy?"

Elphaba looked at her new companion. "I… yes, it would. Could you… maybe… forgive me for everything?"

Galinda smiled a real smile. "Of c-course."

"I've read about friendships in books. I don't know much about it, but I know that I don't deserve a friend like you," Elphaba said, smiling a bit more.

Galinda gently took the princess' green hands in her own. "N-Neither do I."

* * *

 **And here is the long-awaited Gelphie friendship. It took them long enough, anyway. But we're not out of the ball park just yet.**


	6. A Ball Encounter

**NellytheActress: LOL! Maddy knows because I told her basic stuff. So she knows what's gonna happen.**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: No, we should be okay in terms of update being kept on time.**

 **PocketSevens: No, no one hit Elphaba. We'll see more of Fiyero (and Avaric) later on.**

* * *

The dramatic drop in temperature and the snow signaled the approaching of Lurlinemas. Everyone in the palace was preparing for the festivities. Elphaba found herself spending more and more time with Galinda, which she was more than okay with. Fiyero had been busy preparing things with her father, so she rarely saw him, which she was also more than okay with. She enjoyed spending time with the blonde and they had become very close friends.

Currently, Elphaba was sitting on her bed, reading one of her books. Galinda knelt behind her, braiding her hair and reading over her shoulder.

"Are you excited for the Lurlinemas Eve ball?" Elphaba asked as she turned the page of her book.

Galinda smiled. This was the first ball she would be allowed to attend. "Of c-course, Elphie."

"They're rather boring," Elphaba said, half-distracted by her book. "There's just a lot of talking and eating and dancing and… have you ever learned to dance, Glin?"

Galinda finished the braid and shook her head. "No."

"Not even a waltz?"

Another head shake.

Elphaba bookmarked her page and stood, holding out her hand to the blonde. "Come on."

Blinking in confusion, Galinda stared at Elphaba's outstretched hand. "Why?"

"I am going to show you how to dance. You are going to have to learn." She took the blonde's hand and pulled her up before going over to her victrola and putting on the music. After many missteps and toes getting stepped on, Galinda finally got the hang of it and pretty soon, both girls were laughing and dancing around the room.

A knock on the door interrupted them and Elphaba turned off the music. "Enter!"

The door opened and Madame Morrible appeared. "Pardon me, Your Highness, but the tailor is here to fit your Lurlinemas Ball dress."

"Where is he?" Elphaba asked.

"He is in the music room, ma'am."

Elphaba nodded. "We'll be there shortly."

Morrible curtsied and looked at the ex-maid before leaving. The girls exchanged a look before laughing and waited until they thought Morrible had gone before going to the music room.

"She gives me the creeps sometimes," Elphaba said to Galinda as they walked down the hall. "Did she scare you when you first came?"

"A bit," Galinda shrugged. Elphaba gave her a look and she blushed. "O-Okay. A lot." Both girls laughed and quickly hurried the rest of the way to the music room.

"Ah, Your Highness, so wonderful to see you again," the tailor said as he and his assistants bowed to the princess as she entered.

"And you as well, Hozal," Elphaba nodded.

"And who is this?" Hozal asked, looking at Galinda.

"My lady-in-waiting, Galinda," Elphaba introduced.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Galinda," Hozal bowed, though not as deeply as he did to Elphaba.

Galinda curtsied and blushed. That's the first time anyone has called her by her newly acquired title.

"I hope the dress is to your liking, Your Highness," Hozal said as he clapped. Two of his assistants unveiled the gown and both Elphaba and Galinda gasped. The dress was made from felt, a deep, royal blue color that touched the floor, with long, flowing sleeves and gold trimming, and golden swirl designs on the front. In short, it was one of the most beautiful dresses Galinda had ever seen, and the princess had a lot of beautiful dresses.

"It's lovely," Elphaba smiled, moving to stand on the dressing stand.

Hozal clapped and the assistants immediately went to work, fussing over Elphaba in the dress. Galinda stood off to the side, watching Elphaba as she turned and bent and answered questions as Hozal took notes. She could tell Elphaba wasn't enjoying this, and was fighting the urge to just leave.

"Marvelous, Your Highness. Simply marvelous," Hozal said as he put his notebook away. "I shall have the dress completely ready by the ball. You will look simply stunning, as usual."

"Thank you, Hozal," Elphaba smiled.

Everyone bowed and Elphaba left the room with Galinda. "I'm so glad that's over," Elphaba said once they were back in her room.

"You d-didn't… like it?" Galinda asked.

"I liked the dress, if that's what you mean. I just hate those fittings." She made a very unprincesslike noise and collapsed onto her bed, causing Galinda to giggle. "I think I'll take a nap. Could you wake me up before dinner?"

Galinda nodded. "Of c-course, Elphie."

Elphaba smiled at her friend before yawning and falling asleep, clearly exhausted from the dress fitting. Galinda smiled and playfully shook her head as she helped Elphaba under the covers and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. She was walking down the hall back to her room when she saw Fiyero walking towards her and immediately knelt before him.

"Have you seen Elphaba?" he asked when he got close enough. "I wanted to talk to her before dinner."

"She… n-napping," Galinda said.

Fiyero sighed. "Could you wake her? It's important."

Galinda bit her lip. Elphaba seemed really tired after her dress fitting. She wanted her to rest and not to be disturbed.

"Never mind," Fiyero said before the blonde could answer. "She's tired. I will wait until after dinner." He walked away and Galinda rose to her feet. She wondered what must have been so important to tell Elphaba that she would have had to wake her up.

* * *

Finally, it was Lurlinemas Eve, and the day of the ball. The whole palace was in a complete uproar since sunrise. Galinda entertained herself by watching the light snowfall and drawing finger-pictures on the fog covered mirror.

Elphaba was trying to stay calm, but had been complaining of a headache. She had asked Galinda to bring her some tea and to run her a hot bath, and she even took a nap, but nothing had worked.

"You'll… f-feel better… at the ball," Galinda said as she rubbed circles on Elphaba's back.

"The ball might be the cause of all this," Elphaba mumbled, turning away from the blonde.

"I f-feel… there's m-more."

Elphaba was silent for a moment.

"E-Elphie?"

More silence.

"Elphie?"

The princess sighed. "I'm marrying Fiyero in exactly one week," she whispered.

"You d-don't… like… him?"

" _He_ doesn't like _me_. He only likes the idea of being king of Oz when my father dies. Why should _I_ like _him_?"

"He's p-probably n-not… that b-bad."

"He is very full of himself. All he talks about is himself, like he's the best thing since sliced bread. All he talks about is his childhood in the Vinkus, how he studied at Shiz and how he "worked" his way up to be Captain of the Guard."

"You're n-not… inter-ested?"

"I would be more interested if he didn't talk so much."

"G-Get to… know h-him."

"That is easier said than done. I do not love him, Galinda. And he does not love me. I won't be happy with him. Half of what he's saying is so detailed and random that it sounds like he's lying."

Galinda felt that the princess wanted her to do something. "What do y-you want… me t-to do?"

"There will be plenty of people at the ball from the Vinkus. Probably someone knew him as a child. Try to find out something about him. Something that will expose him and make it so I don't have to marry him. Find out the truth about Captain Fiyero Tigulaar."

All Galinda could do was nod and promise the princess she would find out whatever she could. Elphaba gave her one of her extremely rare, genuine smiles and both girls went to get ready for the ball. Galinda went back to her room and washed up, putting on a long, pink dress with silk sleeves and very intricate trimmings. As soon as she put on her pink, circlet headdress with a see-through lace veil and fixed it over her face (something she had to do, to let men know that she was in the service of the princess and unavailable), she went to help Elphaba.

The princess was currently being fussed over by Justa, Maylah, and Nuna, who were giving her trifling compliments as they danced around her. Elphaba looked up and flashed Galinda a small smile before sending the maids away.

"You look nice," Elphaba smiled, stepping towards Galinda.

"You too," Galinda smiled.

The sound of the trumpets blasting from the bottom of the stairs signaled Elphaba and she hurried out of the room, with Galinda close behind her.

"Announcing Her Royal Highness, Princess Elphaba!"

Everyone applauded as Elphaba walked in. The princess quickly plastered a smile on her face as dignitaries and ambassadors hurried over to greet her. Galinda walked in behind her, smiling as Elphaba made polite conversation with everyone. She saw Fiyero come over and bow before kissing the back of her hand. She could tell Elphaba was trying her best to keep herself together, at least for her father's sake. She blinked, quickly remembering her duty and went over to the punch bowl.

"Who is that with the princess?" a woman in a full ball gown asked as a servant poured her some punch.

"That's Captain Fiyero Tigulaar, the Captain of the guard and her betrothed," the woman next to her said.

"He is from the Vinkus, is he not?"

"Yes, he is."

The first woman scrunched up her nose. "Captain or no captain, I would have thought the Princess of Oz would have better sense than to want to marry a common Winkie."

 _But she doesn't want to_ , Galinda wanted to say, but held her tongue as she watched the women walk over to Elphaba. Elphaba engaged them in conversation, seemingly unaware of what they had said about her a few clock ticks prior.

Once the orchestra got situated, the dancing began. As per custom, Fiyero led Elphaba in the first dance. She played the part of a princess excited to be marrying the man who held her in his arms, but only Galinda was privy to her thoughts. One by one, other couples joined the dance. Galinda watched from a far corner, not really wanting to partake in the festivities.

"Excuse me?"

She jumped and turned towards the voice. A well-dressed young man in a dark blue suit stood before her. His soft, hazel eyes looked down at her and his lips were curled in a shy smile.

He bowed. "You are the princess' lady, are you not?"

"Yes," Galinda nodded and curtsied, wishing she was anywhere but there.

"I am Sir Joachim of the Kvon Altar. I saw you here alone and was wondering if you would do me the honor of sharing a dance with me."

Galinda looked at his outstretched hand, knowing it was impolite and almost considered rude to deny a dance. Against her will, she took his hand and allowed him to walk her onto the dance floor.

"Am I allowed to know your name?" Sir Joachim asked as they danced.

"Galinda," the blonde said softly.

"Galinda? That is a very pretty name. Are you from the Gillikin?"

"Yes."

"Which part?"

"Tenn-i-ken"

"Are you alright?" Sir Joachim said after a pause.

"Yes. Fine," Galinda said, lowering her gaze. She didn't like how close Sir Joachim was to her, even though she knew they had to be close to dance.

"Are you feeling alright? Would you like something to drink?"

"N-No, thank you," she said politely. As the dance ended, she breathed a sigh of relief. She curtsied to Sir Joachim, who bowed, and immediately went over to Elphaba.

"Did you find out anything?" Elphaba whispered as another dance started and Sir Joachim went to look for another partner.

"Not r-really," Galinda whispered back.

Elphaba looked disappointed, but hid her emotions when Fiyero returned with a glass of punch. Galinda curtsied and Fiyero regarded her for a moment before whispering something in Elphaba's ear. The emerald princess frowned, but excused herself from Galinda and walked out of the ballroom with Fiyero.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Galinda recognized the voice and turned away slightly, but a hard hand grabbed her chin and forced it back. Avaric.

"Our little thing of beauty has moved up in the world, hasn't she?"

He was wearing his guard uniform, but he must have just switched off with another guard. Galinda gulped. She had run-ins with Avaric when she was still a maid, but he had seemed to leave her alone ones she became Elphaba's lady-in-waiting. That is… until now.

He caressed her cheek over the veil, which Galinda wished, in that moment was thicker and less transparent. "It's good that they realized that they can't restrict true beauty."

Galinda wished she could tell him to stop, that she didn't want him touching her, that she wanted him to leave her alone, but she couldn't. Her mouth went dry and all that came out were soft, throaty whimpers.

"Shall we dance?" Avaric asked as a new song began to play. Without waiting for an answer, he took Galinda's arm and linked it with his before marching onto the dance floor. He placed his hand on Galinda's back, though it was _much_ too low for Galinda's liking. He pulled Galinda tight against him and she gasped, causing him to chuckle deeply. He held her tight, preventing her from escaping. She had no other choice but to dance with him. She couldn't escape without causing a scene, which was the last thing she wanted.

"Having fun?" Avaric purred in her ear mid-dance.

"No," Galinda whispered so only he could hear her.

Avaric gave a throaty chuckle. "I like girls who play hard-to-get." His hand wandered down Galinda's back to her behind, and Galinda gasped and finally jumped away.

"Oh. I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to step on your toes," Avaric said apologetically when a few heads turned.

People looked at the two before going back to their conversations, taking what Avaric said as the truth and a simple reaction of a young girl getting her toes stepped on. Galinda wanted nothing more than to scream and run, but she knew she couldn't. Especially if she wanted to keep her job. Thankfully, the dance ended, allowing Galinda the escape she wanted. She looked over and saw Elphaba reentering the ballroom with Fiyero. She hurried over to the punch bowl and grabbed a full glass. She quickly chugged it as she tried to forget what had just happened.

"Galinda, are you alright?" Elphaba asked, approaching and seeing her friend shaking slightly.

"Fine," Galinda whispered.

"Are you sick? Do you need to lay down?"

"No. I'm… fine." She couldn't tell Elphaba what had just happened. She knew Avaric would deny it, and she feared what punishment she would receive if he was believed.

Elphaba didn't look convinced, but let the subject drop. Galinda avoided dancing for the rest of the night by standing behind Elphaba. Elphaba didn't dance either, claiming that her feet were tired and she wasn't in the mood for dancing. Fiyero looked slightly disappointed at that, but respected Elphaba's wished and went to attack the dessert cart. Avaric went back to guard duty, but his eyes never left the blonde. Galinda felt his gaze upon her and it made her extremely uncomfortable. She had to find some way to get Avaric off her back… before something happened.

* * *

 **Elphaba and Galinda's dresses will be posted on my blog later on!**


	7. Gossip and Truth

**I see we are a bit weary about Avaric. Don't worry, this chapter shall provide us with a bit of an Avaric hiatus, but this will not last long.**

* * *

"You didn't find anything else about Fiyero, did you?" Elphaba asked the next day as the two girls sat on her bed. "I mean… we pretty much stayed together half the night."

"Found out… m-more," Galinda said as she handed Elphaba a notebook. She had written down everything she overheard people saying about the prince, whether they knew him personally or were just gossiping.

"Apparently, he grew up in Brayon Hill, where the upper crust of the Vinkus lives," Elphaba said as she read Galinda's notes. "His father is a merchant and his mother is a seamstress for the queen of the Vinkus. Not bad, I suppose," Elphaba said as she turned the page. "He had private tutors until he was seventeen, then he went to a university, but got expelled. What did he do?" Elphaba asked, looking up from the book.

"D-Don't know," Galinda shrugged.

Elphaba looked back down at the page. "He got expelled from six universities before finally managing to graduate from Shiz University. Wow. That's quite a record he has built for himself. I wonder what he did to get himself kicked out of so many schools."

Galinda turned the page and pointed to the bottom. Elphaba's eyes skimmed through the notes and widened. "He was most known for parting, drinking, and bedding many girls at the universities," she read. "Where did you hear that?"

"Women w-were g-gossiping," Galinda answered, reading over Elphaba's shoulder.

"All gossip has at least a little bit of truth to it," Elphaba said. "Well, I guess there's not much we can do about it now. He somehow managed to work his way up to being captain of the guard… and my future husband." She gave the notebook back to Galinda and got up, walking over to her window. "I just hope he's improved with his time in the forces."

Galinda didn't know what to say, or if she should say anything at all. Was Elphaba really that against marrying Fiyero?

"Although I should count myself lucky, I suppose. At least I had a real engagement, as compared to meeting my husband at the actual wedding ceremony." She began to draw pictures on her foggy window. "I guess I won't mind bearing his children."

"You're r-really… against th-this?" Galinda asked, stepping over to Elphaba.

"I… I don't know. I just… I don't know," Elphaba sighed, wiping her hand over her fog drawing. "I don't know how I feel about this." She stood up. "But I do know that if there's a way out of this, I'm going to find it."

"Where are y-you going?" Galinda asked as Elphaba walked past her towards the door.

"To speak to my father. Wait here for me."

Galinda sighed as Elphaba closed the door behind her and waited. She waited for at least an hour, but Elphaba still didn't return.

When Elphaba finally got back, she found Galinda fast asleep on top of her bed. Sighing, she went over to her and gently shook her shoulder. Galinda startled awake, but calmed when she saw Elphaba. She stretched and sat up as Elphaba told her what happened.

"I found him in the throne room. I told him everything, including what you found out what people were saying about him at the ball. He asked me where I heard this and I told him that I overheard it. He said that it was too late to cancel the wedding and I kept insisting that based on Fiyero's past, he would make an unfit king. He said that there was no way to prove it and even if it were true, he said that all young men go through a "wild" phase in life, but that Fiyero is grown up now and thinks like a mature man. The bottom line is… I'm still marrying him in seven days."

"I'm s-sorry, Elphie," Galinda said, taking her friend's hands.

Elphaba gently pulled away, not in the mood for handholding. "I'm alright. Deep down, I knew he would say that. There's no way out of this wedding." She forced a smile. "I suppose Fiyero isn't a bad man. He does come from a respectable family. I suppose I could learn to…"

"N-Not d-despise him?" Galinda said with a smile.

"Not despise him," Elphaba agreed.

* * *

The week leading up to the wedding went by quickly for Elphaba. Too quickly. She found herself being pestered with wedding preparations nonstop. She rarely got any time to herself.

"You look very beautiful, Your Highness," came a chorus of the maids as they helped Elphaba with her dress.

Elphaba smiled gratefully at them as she examined herself in the mirror. The dress was a slightly off-white color with golden trimming. The skirt reached the floor and the sleeves were long and flowy.

Galinda put the finishing touches on Elphaba's elegant updo before declaring her ready.

"Let's get this over with," she muttered under her breath once the maids left, leaving her alone in the room with Galinda.

Galinda fixed the veil over her face and, handing Elphaba her bouquet, smiled at her. "You'll b-be… fine, Elphie."

"I suppose. I'm sure this will be relatively painless… physically, at least." She took a deep breath as she left, with Galinda close behind her.

The wedding would take place in the grand ballroom. Many dignitaries from all four providences of Oz filled the room. Once they reached the bottom of the staircase, Galinda turned and gave her friend a hug. "Try to h-have f-fun."

"I don't know if "fun" is the right word, but I'll try not to hate it," Elphaba said, returning the hug. She watched as Galinda gave her one final wave before disappearing inside and she waited for her cue. A triple trumpet blast sounded and she walked in. Everyone "oohed" and "awed" as she slowly walked down the aisle, her eyes locked with Fiyero's. The captain was wearing an all-white suit, and appeared to look very nervous.

She met Fiyero at the altar and gave her bouquet to Galinda, who stepped forward to retrieve it before going back off to the side, and the couple turned to face the Wizard.

"My people," the Wizard said in an authoritive voice. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the joyous union of my beloved daughter and our esteemed captain of the royal guard."

Elphaba was barely paying attention as her father spoke. She only snapped back to reality to exchange vows and kiss. This was the first kiss she shared with the captain, and while it wasn't bad, it lacked the spark she had read about in her books; the spark that you feel when you kiss the person you are meant to be with. When they pulled away, Elphaba registered the sound of the dignitaries applauding. She took Fiyero's arm and played the part of a happy couple as they walked down the aisle, allowing the guests to throw rice over their heads.

After they went up on the balcony to great the people, they both retired inside.

"Well… that was fun," Fiyero said, trying to lighten the mood as they walked into their new, shared bedroom.

"Indeed," Elphaba agreed dryly.

"Elphaba, sit with me. Please," Fiyero said as he sat down on the bed.

Elphaba obeyed her husband and sat down next to him, but avoided his gaze.

"I feel… I feel like I don't know you. I mean… we've talked a bit and I… well… I barely know you. And I'm sure you feel the same way about me."

Elphaba still didn't say anything.

"Are you happy with me?"

"Happy with you?" Elphaba repeated.

"Happy with the fact that we had to marry."

"We didn't have much of a choice, did we?"

"But if we did, eventually, would you have chosen to marry me?"

"What's the point of having my opinion? I know the real reason you wanted this."

Fiyero blinked. "What?"

Elphaba rose to her feet. "You knew that if you could climb you way to a high position here, you could earn the privilege of marrying me and one day becoming the King of Oz."

"Th-That's what you think?" Fiyero asked, shocked.

"I know all about your past. I know how you got kicked out of six universities and were known for parting and drinking and bedding every brainless girl you saw."

"That's not true!" Fiyero argued, also rising to his feet.

"Yes it is and you know it! You just wanted all the power and attention I would bring you. That's why you wanted to become captain of the guard and win some battle in a mountain range that no one cares about!"

"Elphaba –"

"You care nothing about me and probably never will!"

"Woman –"

"And furthermore –"

Before Elphaba could finish, Fiyero quickly slapped her across the face. Elphaba yelped and fell to the floor. Nursing her cheek, she looked up at her husband, whose hand was still in the air. Fiyero looked at his hand, then back at Elphaba as the reality of what he just did sunk in. "Elphaba –"

"I knew it," Elphaba whispered brokenly, pushing herself to her feet, glaring daggers into Fiyero's eyes.

"Elphaba, please, I'm s-"

"Save it," Elphaba hissed, holding up her hand to silence him. "I refuse to be in this room any longer with you, husband or not."

Fiyero watched as Elphaba turned on her heels and hurried out the room. He sank onto the bed and ran his hands through his hair. What had he done?

Elphaba knocked on Galinda's door, hoping she wasn't sleeping off the excitement of the wedding. Luckily, Galinda was wide-awake and quickly answered the door, surprised to find Elphaba standing on the other side, her eyes filled with unushered tears she refused to let fall. "E-Elphie?"

Elphaba walked past Galinda and looked out her window, looking down at the snow covered gardens. Galinda stepped beside her friend and gasped, seeing the dark green mark on her cheek that meant blood must have been rushing to her face. She lightly touched it and Elphaba flinched, turning away.

"What h-happened?" Galinda asked, gently guiding Elphaba to sit on her bed.

"Nothing," Elphaba muttered, looking down.

Galinda knelt down in front of her friend. "Y-You're s-still in… wedding d-dress."

Elphaba realized that she completely forgot to take off her dress and allowed Galinda to assist her. Galinda gave Elphaba one of her cotton dresses to wear for the time being.

"Did… C-Captain…"

"He hit me," Elphaba whispered, a single tear sliding down her cheek and she stubbornly wiped it away. "He said that nothing we learned about him was true. I told him I knew he was lying and he hit me."

"Oh, Elphie," Galinda said soothingly, rubbing the back of her hand.

"I refuse to live the rest of my life like this, Galinda," Elphaba said as she finally looked at her friend. "I don't want this."

"I know, E-Elphie," Galinda said. She wrapped her arms around the green girl and smiled softly when she felt her return the hug. "Tea?"

"Okay," Elphaba sighed, releasing the blonde and watching as she disappeared.

Galinda was walking back up the stairs with the tea when she ran into Fiyero. She curtsied deeply, not wanting to spill the tea or drop the teacups.

"Have you seen Elphaba?" Fiyero asked quickly, almost desperately. He continued without waiting for an answer. "Of course you've seen her. Do you know where she is?"

"Yes," Galinda nodded, knowing that Elphaba was still very upset with the captain.

"Where is she? I need to speak with her."

"Sh-She said she… w-wanted p-privacy."

Fiyero sighed. "Can you ask her if she'll speak to me?"

Galinda nodded, curtsied, and hurried away back to Elphaba. She told her that Fiyero was looking for her and wanted to talk to her.

"Well, that's good for him, but I am not ready to speak to him," Elphaba said loudly, knowing Fiyero was on the other side of the door.

"Elphaba, please, it's important," Fiyero said from the other side of the closed door.

Elphaba frowned and sipped her tea. "I will stay in here for as long as I please. Then, if I feel so inclined, I will come out, but that does not mean I will speak with you."

"Can I come in, then, and save time?"

"No."

Fiyero exhaled. "Fine. But you know you must come back to our room by tonight."

Elphaba stiffened. "I refuse to consummate a marriage I wish never took place!"

"Well, fine! Be that way! I wish I never married a stubborn, spoilt, egotistical princess like you anyway!" he yelled at the closed door. He heard the sound of something dropping and a struggle of some sort, probably Galinda trying to stop Elphaba from getting to the door, before something soft, probably a pillow, hit the door. Grumbling to himself, he stalked back to his room, knowing he would get Elphaba to come back one way or another.

"Let me go, Galinda!" Elphaba grunted as she fought to get to the door. "He will pay for that!"

"Elphie, n-no!" Galinda said, Elphaba's force pulling her behind the green girl before she dug her heels into the carpet. "St-Stop!"

"I will not go back to him. Not tonight, nor ever. Man or not, _I_ am the one of royal blood and it will be as _I_ say. And I will not go with him."

"B-But… wedding n-night… scandal…"

Elphaba sighed. "No one needs to know we didn't consummate. It's a stupid tradition anyway. I will do away with it as soon as I have the power. I will not sleep with that pigheaded Winkie. Let him bed some other girl tonight."

"E-Elphie…"

It took a lot of pacing, muttering, cursing, and throwing Galinda's pillows for Elphaba to calm down enough to hear reason.

"He p-probably w-wants to a-apolo-gize," Galinda reasoned.

"I suppose," Elphaba said half-heartedly.

"Just l-listen to... h-him."

Elphaba forced a very slightly smile. "Okay, Glin. I'll try to just listen to him."

Galinda smiled and hugged her friend. "Good l-luck."

Elphaba went back to the bedroom that night, still upset, though willing to listen. Fiyero looked up from where he was reading in bed and blinked, clearly surprised to see the green girl. "Elphaba," he said as he put his book aside.

"Fiyero," Elphaba said curtly.

"We… can we talk?"

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "It's our wedding night, you know what we have to do, and you want us to 'talk'?"

Fiyero frowned. "Do you want to talk?"

"I… yes. I'm sorry," Elphaba said.

Fiyero's face softened and he gave her a gentle smile before scooting over and patting the vacant spot next to him. Elphaba slipped under the covers and turned to face the prince.

"Let's talk," she said, bracing herself for whatever was to come.

* * *

 **Elphaba and Galinda's dresses from the last chapter are now up on my blog, along with Elphaba's wedding dress from this chapter.**


	8. A Lost Night

**RavenCurls: Yes, all in good time. LOL!**

 **WARNING: Violent act! HIGH T rating!**

* * *

"I'm sorry I hit you."

"I know. I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"I know." A pause. "Can we… start over?"

"I suppose so," Elphaba sighed. "I… I don't hate you, you know. I guess I just hated what you represented."

"Dashing good looks and witty charm?" the captain asked, giving the princess a boyish grin.

Elphaba gave him an exasperated look and shook her head. "The fact that I won't be able to make my own decisions, although I couldn't do that before. My father made all my decisions for me. I always knew that I would have to get married and surrender most of my power, but deep down, I thought there would be a way to avoid all that."

Fiyero listened attentively to his wife. He had no idea she was feeling like that. "I'm sorry."

"That's just the way it is. You know it as well as I do."

"You're right. But we can still change it."

"You want to chance generations and generations of traditions?"

"Well, we can at least try."

"Dream big."

"I will." A strange feeling was coming over Fiyero. He couldn't describe it. He looked into Elphaba's eyes and saw the youthful sparkle in her eyes, the same sparkle he used to have before Shiz. He had missed that sparkle. He missed the time when he could have fun and not have to worry about anything. "I guess… I don't hate you either."

Elphaba smirked. "How could you hate me?"

"You were pretty cold when we first met."

"You were pretty egotistical."

"Well, _you_ were pretty standoffish."

"Well, _you_ were pretty brazen."

"Well, _you_ were pretty…" Fiyero stopped short. "Pretty."

Elphaba looked at him, surprised. She felt the deepness and sincerity of what Fiyero just said and turned away from him to hide her blush. "You were really pretty," she heard Fiyero say again.

The couple spent a few more hours talking and getting to know each other without feeling like they were forced to. Before they knew it, Elphaba was playing with the buttons on Fiyero's nightshirt, slowly working to undo them with one hand.

"Fae," Fiyero whispered, using the nickname he had come up with for her a few minutes prior. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Elphaba whispered back, still trying to undo the top button.

"Are you sure… are you sure you want to do this? Like… right now?"

Elphaba made a half-distracted hum and continued to play with the buttons. She pulled herself closer to him, humming softly. Fiyero relished the feeling of her body against hers, then quickly snapped back to reality and took her hand, causing her to look him in the eyes.

"Elphaba, I mean it," he said seriously. "Are you absolutely, _positively_ sure?"

"Yes," Elphaba said, looking into his eyes. "I'm sure."

"Fae…"

Elphaba quickly cut him off with a kiss, which Fiyero immediately melted into and wrapped his arm around her waist. The kiss deepened, and Elphaba had finally succeeded in unbuttoning Fiyero's shirt.

"Fae," Fiyero moaned.

"Hmm?"

"I think… I'm falling for you," the prince grinned.

Elphaba smirked as she leaned closer, her breath mixing with Fiyero's. "Well, I guess that makes two of us."

* * *

As the snow melted away and the first signs of spring began to appear, new life was appearing everywhere. New bird eggs hatched and flowers bloomed, filling the air with an all natural-perfume.

Currently, Elphaba and Galinda were walking through the gardens, choosing the flowers to decorate the square. Elphaba mostly chose flowers with green and blue colored petals, while Galinda was more attracted to the pink ones. Once they were finished (and had picked a bit of extra flowers for themselves), Elphaba went to show the blonde her favorite spot in the entire garden.

"I used to always love coming out here," Elphaba said as she showed off a large oak tree with a swing tied to one of the branches. "One time, my father let slip that my mother also loved to come out here, but that was all he said on the subject. Sit down."

Galinda looked at the foreign object warily. She had never been on a swing before.

"You've never been on a swing before?" Elphaba asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

Galinda shook her head. "No."

"Oh. It's fun. Trust me," Elphaba said as she pushed the blonde towards the rectangular, wooden seat and made her sit down. "Now, just hold on to the rope."

Galinda clung to the rope for dear life as Elphaba pulled her back and pushed her into the air. She wasn't going very high, but she still spent the first forty-five seconds whimpering and trying to tell Elphaba that she wanted to stop.

"You don't like it?" Elphaba asked as she caught Galinda and slowed the swing to a stop.

Galinda shook her head, still gripping the rope.

"I guess it's not for everyone," Elphaba said, sounding disappointed. "Let's go back inside. I think we have enough flowers for now."

Once Elphaba pried Galinda's fingers from the rope, the two ventured back into the palace. "I don't know when your birthday is," Elphaba said in an attempt to change the subject.

"June s-sixteenth," Galinda answered quietly, still shaken up from the swing.

Elphaba smiled. "Have you ever celebrated your birthday?"

"C-Cake… at the or-orphanage."

"No presents?"

"No."

Elphaba remained silent for a clock-tick. "Oh. We'll have to give you a proper party this year, then."

"You… r-really don't h-have to."

"But I want to. You're my friend."

Galinda smiled as she was reminded of that fact. "Th-Thank you."

The week leading up to the Ozical Jubilee was extremely busy. The Wizard was busy teaching Fiyero about being the future ruler, leaving Elphaba and Galinda to their own devices. They took pleasure walks through the gardens and Elphaba even took Galinda pleasure riding with her, although the blonde's first time on a horse was far from pleasant. They had shared a friendly laugh after the fact, even though Galinda was still in a bit of pain.

Finally, the day had arrived. Fiyero had slipped out of bed early with a note to Elphaba saying that he was going to make sure that everything was ready. Elphaba frowned slightly, having grown accustomed to waking up in the prince's arms. But nevertheless, she got up and went to Galinda's room.

"Galinda, are you up?" she whispered loudly as she knocked against the door.

The blonde opened the door a few minutes later, fully dressed in an emerald green, silk gown. "Good… m-morning."

"Good morning," Elphaba smiled.

Galinda invited her in and the girls spent an hour talking before Elphaba finally decided to get ready before someone came looking for her.

"I'll look naked," she commented as Galinda helped her into an emerald green gown.

"You l-look… beautiful," Galinda smiled, helping Elphaba with her necklace.

Elphaba blushed. "Thank you." Once they finished, the two girls made their way outside. Crowds had started to gather at the gates to the Emerald City Palace, waiting for the royal family to make an appearance. Fiyero and the Wizard were already waiting for them in the foyer.

"Are you ready?" the Wizard asked, gently kissing his daughter's cheek.

Even if the answer was no, Elphaba knew she didn't have much of a choice, so she simply nodded and dutifully took Fiyero's arm. She glanced over her shoulder at Galinda, who gave her an encouraging smile and slight wave. Elphaba's lips twitched in response and she took a deep breath as she stepped outside with her father and husband. The crowd immediately began to cheer and clap. The three waved and Elphaba did her usual magic spell to decorate the entire square, which made the people cheer even louder. After the Wizard gave a brief speech, the day's activities began.

Elphaba met Galinda in the center of the square, by a large fountain of Lurline. The two friends walked around together, though Elphaba was constantly stopped by the people of the Emerald City. To Galinda, it was very obvious that Elphaba was tired of talking to people and simply wanted to enjoy the jubilee, but the people were too excited to see their recently-married princess.

The blonde smiled sympathetically at her green friend. She enjoyed seeing the princess interact with her people, even though she knew Elphaba would rather do anything but at the moment. She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard a child cough. She turned and saw a little girl, no older than five, standing a few feet away, half-hiding behind a vendor's cart. Galinda smiled and waved at her, but the little girl's eyes widened and she hid. Elphaba must have noticed part of the exchange, because she lightly touched the blonde's shoulder as she walked past her to the little girl.

"Hello," she said softly, standing in front of the child.

The little girl looked up at the emerald princess, then immediately dipped into a curtsy.

"What's your name?"

"M-Maven," the little girl whispered.

"Where are your parents, Maven?"

"I dunno. They got lost."

Elphaba smiled slightly. "Where did you last see them?"

The little girl blinked and looked around. "Over there," she said, pointing to a vendor's cart across the path. "There they are!" she said, pointing to a young couple looking at ceramic pots and bowls. She ran over to her parents and wrapped her arms around her mother's waist.

Galinda watched with a smile as the father lifted the little girl into his arms and spun her around in the air. Maven giggled, clearly enjoying the feeling of being in her parents arms. It almost made the blonde envious. That could have been her. She could have been a happy girl in the Gillikin with two loving parents and a wonderful life. She felt Elphaba nudge her slightly and she forced a smile. But if she had that, then she wouldn't have met Elphaba. She could have had many friends, but in that moment, Elphaba was the only one that mattered. The distant sound of music caught her attention and she turned, seeing a small band playing under the pavilion. Before she could say anything, Elphaba had taken her hand and pulled her towards the music. Galinda managed to stand off to the side and watched as Elphaba let another part of herself show that she had never seen before. At first, she danced with Fiyero, then began to dance with everyone else; everyone from older, retired soldiers to young children. She seemed carefree for the duration of the dances. The blonde smiled as she watched Elphaba dancing and having fun.

Elphaba motioned for her to come join in, and Galinda slowly shook her head. Elphaba motioned for her again, and the blonde reluctantly came and danced. Once she loosened up, she ended up having just as much fun as Elphaba.

"That was fun," the green girl said once everything was over and cleaned up.

"It w-was," Galinda smiled, her feet slightly sore from so much dancing.

The girls went back to the princess' room and talked about the jubilee.

"You h-have a… s-soft spot for child-ren," Galinda said as she brushed Elphaba's hair.

"I guess I always have. I know how much everyone looks up to me, especially them. I don't really show that side of me a lot because I don't really get the opportunity to. It usually happens once a year; twice if something else gets scheduled."

"Would you… w-want to?"

"Schedule more events with children? I mean… I suppose so. I don't know what it would be, but if something were to come up, I would like the idea."

Galinda smiled as she braided Elphaba's hair for the night. They talked more, but Galinda excused herself after she almost fell asleep in the princess' bed. Elphaba offered to walk her back to her room, but Galinda declined, saying that she would get a quick snack before going to bed. Elphaba looked worried, but Galinda reassured her that she could be fine. After saying a quick goodnight, Galinda hurried away and walked downstairs towards the kitchen.

There was still a bunch of food, specifically fruits and a few vegetables, left over. Galinda helped herself to a few grapes and watermelon slices, moaning in satisfaction as she felt the sweet juice slide down her throat. She heard something behind her and she quickly turned, but saw nothing. It was very dark, but there was a bit of light that allowed her to see a few feet in front of her face. Not seeing or hearing anything, she grabbed a few more grapes. She heard the sound of a chair scraping against the floor and she whipped around, but still didn't see anything. Now she was starting to get worried. Someone was there. She could sense someone else's presence in the room with her. She didn't know what to do, who it was, or what they wanted.

After not hearing anything or seeing any movement, the blonde slowly relaxed and turned back to get a few more watermelon slices before going back upstairs to bed. She had just put the fruit in her mouth when she felt someone grab her from behind.

"Hello, my precious flower," slurred a hoarse voice.

Galinda stiffened. Avaric. She tried to twist out of his grasp, but he was determined to not let her go. "Let g-go!"

"Why in such a rush? We have plenty of time."

She smelt the strong alcohol in his breath and it almost made her gag. He was drunk. She continued to try and twist her way out of his grasp. "Let g-go!"

"Why? You want this as much as I do, don't you, my precious flower?"

"No!" Galinda cried, stomping on Avaric's foot. He gasped, not letting go, but loosened enough for Galinda to be able to get away. She ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs. She was almost halfway up when Avaric caught up to her. He lifted her up and carried her over his shoulder, covering her mouth to stop her from screaming. He ignored Galinda's kicks and muffled screams and pleads to let her go.

They walked down the hall and into a room with only a bed and a desk inside. He threw her onto the bed and quickly climbed on top of her.

"No! St-" Galinda protest was cut off by Avaric smacking his lips against her. She screamed and pushed against him, trying to get free. She could taste the alcohol on his breath and could feel his hands roaming her body. She shivered, wishing she could be anywhere but there. She saw Avaric begin to shimmy out of his pants and the full force of what was about to happen sunk in. She tried to kick and get away, but Avaric was holding her down. As he kissed her, she felt as though he was sucking the air directly out of her lungs. She felt her world stopping, all sense of time vanishing.

"Stop," she whispered, trying to find her full voice.

Avaric smirked down at the pretty blonde beneath him, completely ignoring her begs to stop. "You're mine tonight."

 _No_ , Galinda's mind screamed.


	9. A New Morning

**I see that we all want to kill Avaric. Don't worry. We will get our revenge on him. Just… not right now… nor anytime soon.**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: YOU BROKE MY REVIEW PAGE! *pout* Now I have to wait for enough reviews to fix it!**

* * *

Galinda shot up in bed the next morning, disoriented and afraid because of it. Blinking, she realized that she was back in her bedroom. She looked down and realized with a jolt of pure fear that she was naked. Looking over the edge of the bed, she saw her nightgown carelessly discarded on the floor. Gulping, she slid out of bed to retrieve it, but stopped. Something felt off. What had happened the previous night? The last thing she remembered was going down to the kitchen and eating a snack before…

It all came back to her in a flash before her eyes. As the realization of what had just happened sunk in, she felt herself becoming nauseous. How dare he! He had no right to defile her like that! She felt her world spinning and knew that if she tried to stand, she would surely faint. Instead, she buried herself deeper under the covers and sniffled. Her sniffles quickly turned into whimpers, which quickly turned into cries, which quickly turned into heart-wrenching sobs. She couldn't tell anyone. No one could find out. If they did, the repercussions would be horrific, deadly even. She would have to deal with this on her own. The question then became; would she be able to?

The sun rose much quicker than the blonde would have liked. She knew that if she didn't go to Elphaba, Elphaba would come to her, and that would be much worse. So, gathering her strength, she got out of bed and washed. She tried to rid herself of the dirty feeling plaguing her, but no matter how hard she scrubbed, she knew it wouldn't go away. She could also still taste the alcohol in her mouth. She brushed her teeth and rinsed out her mouth, and even though the taste managed to go away, the ghost after-taste still hung in her breath. No one would be able to smell it, but to Galinda, it was still there. Nothing would be able to make it go away.

Once she was dressed, she sat at her vanity and brushed out her hair. How was she going to be able to face Elphaba? She felt like she had betrayed her, even though she knew it wasn't her own fault. It was Avaric's. But she knew she would get blamed, nevertheless. All she could do was remain silent. It would be the only way to save her life.

"Galinda? Are you in there?" Elphaba asked as she knocked on the door.

"Yes," Galinda called, not getting up.

"May I come in?"

"Yes."

Elphaba opened the door and walked up to the blonde. "Galinda, are you alright?"

"Yes. F-Fine," Galinda said, avoiding looking at the princess.

Elphaba knew something was wrong, but decided not to push it. After all, Galinda was her best friend. She would never keep a secret from her. She would tell her when she was ready. "O-Okay. I just wanted to let you know that Fiyero and I decided to take a short walk before breakfast. You're welcome to join us if you wish."

"N-No, thank you. I'm… f-fine," Galinda said, the thought of being around another man scaring her.

Elphaba, completely oblivious to her friend's fears, simply nodded and left. The blonde let out a sigh of relief when Elphaba closed the door behind her. She felt awful lying to Elphaba like that, but what was she supposed to say? That she had broken the number one vow she took when she went into Elphaba's service? That she was taken and used against her will? That an outrageous sin had taken place in the Wizard's house and she was a part of it?

 _No_ , Galinda thought, shaking her head. _I know Elphie better than that. She's my friend. She would understand._ But she still couldn't bring herself to say it out loud. Saying it out loud would mean accepting the fact that it actually happened. She was still in denial, even though she could feel the effects.

Elphaba began to notice a big chance within the blonde. She saw her begin to draw within herself and barely speak to her. She felt like she barely saw her, and it made her feel like when they first met. She tried to get the blonde to talk, but Galinda refused to give her an answer.

"Galinda, I want to help you. You just have to tell me what's wrong," she found herself saying more than once to the blonde.

"I'm f-fine… El-Elphie," Galinda said, trying to keep her voice strong.

"No. No, Galinda, you're not fine. You're quieter and more reserved. You're not the bubbly blonde I befriended anymore. What's going on?"

"N-Nothing."

For some reason, Elphaba found herself getting angry. "Don't lie to me, Galinda. Just tell me!"

"N-Nothing," Galinda said again.

"For Oz sakes, why not?"

"It's f-fine."

Elphaba was now seething. "I command you to tell me this instant!"

It had been a while since Elphaba had commanded her to do something, and it caught the blonde off-guard. "I… I…"

"Spill it, Galinda!"

"I… c-can't."

"You can and you will! Tell me now!"

"No… I c-can't. P-Please…" Galinda whispered, biting her lower lip.

"Then if you refuse to tell me, you are no longer my friend," Elphaba said, turning on her heals and hurrying away.

"El-Elphie!" Galinda called after her, but the green girl didn't respond. The blonde continued to stare down the hallway where Elphaba disappeared. Surely Elphaba didn't mean anything she said. She must be upset because she thinks she's keeping a secret from her. That was the only logical reason to Galinda. Quickly, she tried to think of an excuse that would placate the princess. Figuring one out, she quickly ran after her to see where she would be. When she turned the corner, she almost ran into Fiyero.

"Galinda, what happened?" he asked once the blonde regained herself and dipped into a deep curtsy. "Elphaba ran past me crying. I tried to get her to stop, but she just ignored me." He looked around. "I didn't do anything to upset her, did I?"

Galinda shook her head. "N-No. We… ar-gued."

The prince frowned. "What happened?"

"She th-inks I'm… k-keeping… s-secret from h-her."

"Are you?"

Galinda shook her head. "No."

Fiyero sighed. "It's just a misunderstanding, then? Hopefully you two can resolve it soon."

"We w-will," Galinda curtsied.

Fiyero nodded and walked past her. Galinda watched him go and sighed. He didn't suspect that she was lying. She turned her focus back to finding Elphaba. It didn't take her very long, considering the fact that she heard soft cries coming from the music room. She hurried and found Elphaba lying down in a couch in the corner, crying into a pillow. She watched her for a few clock-ticks, feeling guilty that she made her friend cry.

 _But if I had told her, that would mean my death_ , Galinda thought. She slowly walked into the room and lightly tapped Elphaba's shoulder.

The princess looked up and frowned. "What do you want?"

"To a-polo-gize," Galinda said, wringing her hands. "I'm s-sorry."

Elphaba's frown still remained. "Why were you lying to me?"

Galinda knew Elphaba wouldn't fully forgive her until she had a straight answer. "It w-was… ann-i-ver-sary of… p-parents' d-deaths."

It wasn't a total lie. The anniversary of her parents' deaths had been a week and a half after the incident, when she really started to become more reserved, especially around Elphaba.

The princess' face relaxed instantly. "Oh. I… I'm so sorry, Galinda. I had no idea."

"I kn-know," Galinda said softly, not wanting to talk about it further. "It's... al-right."

"No, it's not. Of course you didn't want to talk about it, but I got mad at you because I felt that you were lying to me." She got up and gently took Galinda's hands. "I'm still relatively new to this 'friendship' thing. Can you forgive me?"

The blonde's lips twitched into a smile. "Of c-course."

"Are we still friends?"

Galinda nodded and the two girls shared a hug. She was glad that she was back on good terms with the princess. But she knew she couldn't keep lying to her. She didn't want to keep lying to her. She wanted to find a way to relieve this heavy burden on her chest. So when Elphaba suggested that they go out into the garden for a stroll, Galinda accepted it as a distraction and followed her.

"You look beautiful," Elphaba said as she braided flowers into the blonde's hair.

Galinda forced a smile, but she didn't feel beautiful. She felt the exact opposite. She felt ugly. Ugly and dirty and ashamed. She felt like no matter how many flowers Elphaba braided into her hair, or how many baths she took, or how much perfume she put on, it would remain the same. Nothing would change what had happened.

"Finished," Elphaba announced when she was done.

Galinda blinked and forced another smile. "Th-Thank you."

"You're welcome," Elphaba smiled as they readjusted so Galinda could braid her hair.

That evening, as Elphaba slid under the covers and into her husband's arms, she confessed her feelings to him. "I mean… I just feel like there's something else she's not telling me."

"She already told you why she was acting the way she was," Fiyero supplied, stroking her hair.

"I know, but I just feel like there's another part to it, whether it has to do with her parents' deaths or not. Whatever it is, it's still eating at her."

"Why don't you ask her?"

"I don't want to have another argument with her. I just… I wish she trusted me."

"She does trust you, Fae."

"Then why won't she tell me what else is bothering her?"

"She probably just doesn't feel comfortable telling other people. Maybe there's nothing you could do that would help her and she doesn't want you to be worried about her."

"But the fact that she's not telling me anything makes me even more worried."

"She'll tell you in good time, Fae, when she's ready. You shouldn't push her. That will only make it worse."

"But I want to help her."

"Maybe Galinda doesn't want you to help her right now."

Elphaba sighed. "I just hate that she's holding something inside."

"It's probably something that will resurface a very bad memory for her if she says it out loud. You just have to trust her that she'll be able to work it out on her own. And if she can't, trust that she'll do whatever she has to do to make herself feel better. But whatever she does, will you support her?"

"Of course I would. She's the first friend I've ever had. I don't want to mess that up with her."

"Then that's all you can do."

Elphaba looked into her husband's eyes. "Yero, that was… really insightful."

"I have my deep moments," the prince smiled cheekily.

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Fiyero whispered, kissing her neck.

Elphaba made a noise in the back of her throat and melted into Fiyero's embrace. She kissed him again and smiled against his lips, enjoying the feeling of his warm body against hers.

Back in her room, Galinda tried to rid herself of the ghost feeling of Avaric's warm body against hers. She could still smell the alcohol on his breath. She could still feel his ghost-weight on top of her. She hated feeling like that. She felt like she was at the mercy of some unknown being that was controlling her. She laid wide-awake in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She had to tell someone. She didn't know how much longer she could go like that. But who could she tell?

No one.

She couldn't tell anyone and she knew it. The penalty was stated in black and while, and there was no way around it. No matter what. She would just have to deal with it herself. This was just something she would have to go through alone.


	10. Death and Life

**TimberPaws: I get how maybe the plants will kill Avaric, but the butter knife?**

 **AirHawk19: He is a low life swine!**

 **LifelongLeahstar: *Ducks to avoid flying hippos***

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: If I admit to being mean (even though I'm not. I'm wicked) will you agree not to break my review page again (in this story, at least)?**

 **Rose (Guest): Thank you!**

 **PocketSevens: What's your theory?**

* * *

She was doing it again.

Elphaba could tell that the blonde was becoming more and more reserved, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. What was going on? What was she hiding from her? She didn't want to push her, as Fiyero had suggested, but she wanted to know. What could possibly be going on? It was three weeks after the death anniversary, but Elphaba knew it was more than just that. She just wished Galinda would tell her.

Galinda knew that Elphaba was still upset with her, for she would stiffen every time she got close to her. She tried not to notice, but she could see the hurt deep within the princess' chocolate eyes. She wanted to tell her, but the fear of the repercussions stopped her from doing that.

Thus, the two friends continued to simply ignore it. If they ignored it, it would go away and everything would be fine.

"What's th-that?" Galinda asked as she braided Elphaba's hair one afternoon, hearing noise that sounded like protests from outside.

Elphaba looked at the blonde through the mirror. "You haven't heard?"

Galinda shook her head.

"One of the kitchen maids, Nuna, was caught running away with Leaven, the footman."

Galinda's eyes widened. Nuna was one of the girls who was especially mean to her. "Wh-What will… h-happen to th-them?"

"She will be put to death by a hanging," Elphaba said simply, yet softly.

"Wh-What?!"

Elphaba nodded. "She will die tomorrow morning. She broke a vow she took to be in the service of my father."

"No tr-ial?"

"No," Elphaba shook her head. "She won't get a trial."

"Not f-fair!"

"I know it's not fair, Galinda. But it's also the law. There's nothing I can do about it."

Galinda could tell that Elphaba really didn't like the current situation and simply finished the braid.

"Leaven won't be punished," Elphaba said after a while, standing up. "I can't speak to my father about it. He has washed his hands of the entire matter. He said that since she broke the rules, and she understood the consequences, she must pay the price."

"But –"

"And they had sex," Elphaba interrupted, gazing out the window at the horizon. "She's pregnant."

"What?"

"She's two months pregnant. The doctor examined her and confirmed it."

"They h-have t-to… l-let her live."

"There's nothing I can do about this, Galinda," Elphaba said, sounding frustrated. "I can't argue my father. No one can. He's the Wizard. What he says is the final word and no one can change it without his permission."

Galinda was about to say more, but saw how tired Elphaba looked and let the subject drop. She went to get some tea for the both of them, and when she returned, Elphaba had moved to her bed and was running her fingers over her quilt.

"The world isn't fair, Galinda," Elphaba said after a long silence as she sipped her tea. "Nothing ever is."

Galinda made to take a sip of her tea, but stopped. Something didn't seem right. She sniffed the liquid and almost gagged. She didn't know what was happening. Peppermint was one of her favorites. She simply put the tea aside, and when Elphaba gave her a questioning look, simply said that she didn't feel like tea at the moment.

The next morning, Galinda awoke with a heavy feeling in her stomach. The sun was beginning to rise, but there was a feeling of urgency in the air. She could almost feel death all around her, and she wanted nothing more than to get out of its embrace. She was about to go back to sleep when someone banging on her door scared her back awake. She jumped up, twirled her robe around her shoulders and answered the door. Elphaba was standing on the other side, already dressed.

"El-phie?" Galinda blinked.

"Galinda, I know this is a lot to ask of you, but I really want you to come with me," she pleaded.

"El-Elphie, p-please…"

Elphaba gripped the blonde's hands. "Galinda, please. I'm required to be there, and I can't do this alone."

"F-Fiyero…"

"He doesn't have to go, and please don't ask me why. The point is… I really need a friend there with me. Please, Galinda."

Galinda looked at Elphaba and realized that she couldn't say no. Well… she could, but her friend obviously needed her. She really didn't want to see Nuna be put to death, but Elphaba really needed her. She agreed, if only to see the look of pure relief on Elphaba's face. The princess thanked her and waited until she got ready. Forty-five minutes later, Galinda was ready and walked out with Elphaba to the arena. It was a relatively small gathering, Galinda felt it was too large a crowd for a maid's execution. She sat with next to Elphaba in the private box, a lump forming in the pit of her throat.

A trumpet sounded and everyone stood as the Wizard entered. Elphaba formally curtsied to her father as he passed her, and Galinda did the same. The Wizard nodded to his daughter before turning and standing in front of the podium. After making a brief speech about the "crimes" committed (though it seemed to drag on forever for Elphaba and Galinda) he ordered that the maid be brought out.

Galinda bit back a gasp as Nuna was led out, blindfolded and her hands tired behind her back. She looked weak and frail, like every step she took brought her physical pain. She had lost a lot of weight and looked like she had been starved. Most of her body was covered in blood, and she looked like she had been whipped. The two guards escorting her pushed and shoved her towards the tall stood she was going to stand on. They forced her onto the stood and tied the noose around her neck.

Elphaba exchanged a sad look with Galinda, who looked like she was about to faint. Elphaba looked at her father, whose eyes didn't leave Nuna. Elphaba looked back at the guards, who were looking at her father, waiting for the word to kick the stool away and end the young girl's life.

"Father," the princess whispered, standing and taking a step towards her father.

The Wizard looked at her.

"Please," she begged, shaking her head. "Please don't do this."

The Wizard simply squeezed her hand and nodded for her to sit back down. Elphaba continued to silently plead with her father, until the Wizard made it clear that he wasn't going to argue with her anymore. Elphaba was forced to sit back down, looking torn and defeated. Turning towards the guards, he held up his hand to signal for them to get ready. As soon as he thrust his hand down, the stood was kicked away.

The blonde was horrified, but found that she couldn't look away and watched Nuna kick and twitch against the lack of support. People gasped, and a few screamed. The kicking and twitching went on for around five minutes (Galinda had turned away somewhere in that span), then Nuna grew still, her body hanging and moving slightly in the wind. Two minutes later, she was pronounced dead with a single, loud drum hit. Galinda heard Elphaba let out a sigh and shift her weight. The princess looked over at her lady-in-waiting. "Galinda?"

She turned and Elphaba gasped. Her eyes were bloodshot and she looked at least three shades paler. She gently took her by the hand and squeezed in a heartbeat pattern. Galinda couldn't seem to meet her gaze, and she completely understood why. She had been the exact same way when she had to attend her first execution. Now, she hated to say it, but as much as she hated it, she had grown used to it and what to expect.

After the body was taken down and carried away, the Wizard dismissed everyone and Elphaba promptly wrapped her arms around Galinda and helped her up. She ushered her out and back to her room, where Galinda promptly collapsed on the bed and cried. Elphaba shed a few tears herself, but was mostly there to help Galinda.

"I'm sorry," she whispered when she thought Galinda would hear her. "I never should have asked you to come with me. I didn't… I mean… I never… I shouldn't have… I know I will never be able to make this up to you."

Galinda curled into a fetal position and turned away from the green girl. Elphaba felt completely helpless in her attempts to calm her. Nothing she ever said or did would be able to make up for what she did.

"I was selfish," Elphaba whispered. "I was selfish and inconsiderate. I am a horribly friend. I should have been able to do this alone by now. I hate the fact that I am forced to go to this, even though Fiyero doesn't have to, despite his recently-acquired title." She paused for a moment. "My first one was when I was sixteen. I don't even remember who was hanged or what they did. I guess I didn't fully understand it at the time. I've been two around three more each year since then. I…" She stopped herself. "This isn't about me, though. Do you… do you want something to drink?"

Galinda ignored her, still very upset.

"I _am_ upset about Nuna. I didn't know her very well, but that doesn't mean I wished death upon her. Especially when another innocent life was growing inside of her for eight weeks. And especially when Leaven doesn't face as harsh a punishment, only serving two months in the Southstairs. As harsh as that is, it wasn't even remotely close to what Nuna went through."

Galinda still refused to comment.

"Do you want me to leave?"

Still silence. Elphaba took that as a yes and left, whispering a final "I'm sorry" before closing the door behind her. Finally, Galinda looked up. She turned and laid on her back, staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't believe she had witnessed someone suffer like that before dying. She had never witnessed death before. She supposed the only reason her parents didn't count was because they had both died instantly in the carriage accident and she had been knocked unconscious, so she didn't actually see them. Everything smelt like death. She didn't want to be around anyone.

She wanted to be angry with Elphaba. She wanted to yell at her and tell her she had no right to make her do that. She wanted to tell her that she didn't want to be her friend anymore; that she'd rather live out in the streets than be in the same room with her for another clock-tick. But she didn't. She couldn't. Part of her didn't want to. She knew that if she wanted any hope at a future where she wasn't one step away from death, she had to stay with her.

But that also made her scared. Scared of what might happen to her if people found out her secret. She would be the next one hanged. But she could feel death next to her, creeping up behind her, wrapping her in a hug and refusing to let her go until it had suffocated every last breath from her body. She sat up and hugged herself, but froze. She stiffened, praying she didn't feel what she thought she felt. Maybe she was just hallucinating. Maybe it wasn't real. A lot had happened and maybe this was just her body's way of reacting. But when she pressed her fingers against her abdomen, she felt the vibration of life that was also her death sentence.

* * *

 **Sorry this chapter is a day late. I thought I had one more prewritten chapter left, but I didn't. And since this is the case, the next update will not be until Saturday, April 23rd, just so I can get ahead a bit more. I'm sorry for this mini-hiatus that I really didn't want to take or plan on, but I should be able to keep updates regular and every other day after that. Thank you all for understanding!**


	11. A New Plan

**RavenCurls: *Innocent smile* We're not even at the worst part yet, and people are already starting to hate me?**

 **Torchakaywrites (Guest): I don't like a lot of blood and gore, either.**

 **LifelongLeahstar: I'm not saying anything about who does or doesn't die. And Nuna was one of the maids from Chapter 4 who was mean to Galinda.**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: You're going to get the Nia Hunters even though nothing bad happened yet?**

* * *

One week later, in mid-May, the two girls found themselves walking through the garden. Elphaba and somehow convinced Galinda to leave her room and get some fresh air, even though Galinda had argued that opening the window would do the same job.

"This is nice," Elphaba commented as they walked, breaking the awkward silence that had befallen them.

Galinda nodded and kept her gaze down.

Elphaba bit her lip, wondering what was bothering the blonde was thinking about. She knew she shouldn't ask, for fear of another argument, but she couldn't help herself. She needed to know what was bothering her friend. "What's wrong?"

"Wh-What?" Galinda asked, still keeping her gaze down.

"You've barely said more than two words this whole time. I know something's wrong, and you're hiding it from me."

"It's… n-nothing."

"No, it's something." Elphaba stopped walking and grabbed Galinda's hands. "Galinda, please tell me what's wrong."

Galinda opened her mouth, but no words came out. How was she supposed to tell Elphaba that she missed her period and was going to have a baby in a little over six months? How do you tell someone that when you know there will be dire repercussions?

"Galinda, tell me!"

"I…"

"What?"

"I…"

" _Galinda_ …"

"H-Headache…"

"That's not the truth!"

"W-World… s-spinning…"

"You're lying to me!"

"C-Can't… s-see…"

Screaming in frustration, Elphaba raised her hand and cracked Galinda across the cheek. The blonde yelped and stumbled back, falling to the ground. She looked up at Elphaba, who was beginning to look blurry to her as darkness covered the edges of her vision. She saw the blurry green figure approach her and she scrambled away. She felt Elphaba's hand on her arm and pulled away, feeling herself drifting out of consciousness. The last thing she remembered before completely blacking out was Elphaba calling for help and squeezing her hand.

* * *

When the blonde opened her eyes, she saw a blurry figure in while standing over her. Thinking that she had died, she blinked the blurriness away and discovered that she was not dead and that it was the castle doctor. She tried to sit up, but she felt him push her back down.

"Galinda," he said gently. "We need to talk."

Galinda bit her lip and gulped. Had he already told them? Where they waiting for her right now to take her away to the Southstairs? "Wh-What…"

"You're pregnant," he said in a concerned, hushed whisper.

"I… know."

The doctor seemed to be fighting with himself. He looked like he wanted to say something, but no words came out. Finally, he sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "What happened?"

The blonde blinked, not understanding.

"I know you're very fond of the princess and would never do anything in your power to betray her trust. So, I must know what happened, or at least, who's it is."

Galinda looked up at him. Could she trust him? Who was to say that he wouldn't just go telling as soon as she confessed? But when she looked into his eyes, she saw that he was really sincere and wanted to help her. Sighing, she whispered her confession and waited for the repercussions. Silence hung in the air, and when Galinda looked up, she saw the doctor looking at her with wide eyes, horror evident on his face.

"P-Please d-don't… tell," Galinda begged softly.

The doctor couldn't believe what he had just heard. "How long ago was this?"

"A-Almost… th-three months," Galinda whispered.

The doctor nodded and sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "I'm so sorry that happened to you, Galinda."

Galinda nodded and looked back down.

"I… I could give you a prescription pill that will… terminate the pregnancy... and no one will no about it," he said very gently.

"I w-won't k-kill… my b-baby," Galinda said, her voice strong.

The doctor nodded, pausing for a long moment. "I… I will tell them that you have anemia," he finally said. "Apparently, some of the symptoms are the same with pregnancy; tiredness, weakness, fainting, nausea, and the like."

"B-But… sh-showing…" Galinda whispered.

"We will worry about that when it happens. I will tell them that you showed no signs of being pregnant when I first examined you. I do not believe I can stop the inevitable, but I will do what I can to help."

"Th-Thank you," Galinda said, giving the doctor a small smile.

The doctor smiled back and told the blonde to get some rest. He stayed until he was sure that the young girl was fast asleep and turned to leave. Elphaba and Fiyero were waiting down the hall for him and immediately asked what was wrong with the blonde. The doctor told her it was a case of anemia and that she would be fine with bed rest and plenty of water. Elphaba looked relieved and Fiyero looked relieved that Elphaba was relieved. They thanked the doctor, who bowed before showing himself out.

Elphaba immediately ran to the blonde's room to check up on her. Galinda was still fast asleep. She looked a bit paler and she mumbled something under her breath as she turned in her sleep. Elphaba pulled up a chair and sat next to the blonde and took her hands. "I'm sorry," she whispered, stroking the back of her hand. "I didn't mean to slap you. I keep hurting you and I don't mean to. I just wish you would tell me what's bothering you. Please, Galinda. Whatever it is, I can help you. That's what friends do, isn't it?" She sat with the blonde for a while longer, until dinnertime, when Fiyero came back to escort her down to the dining hall. It was obvious that the princess didn't want to leave her friend, but she did feel hungry and requested that dinner be brought up. Fiyero nodded and asked if she wanted him to join her. Elphaba smiled sweetly and declined, not missing the slight putout look on his face.

Once she finished eating, she heard a soft moan from the bed and immediately rushed to Galinda's side. "Galinda?"

The blonde moaned again.

"Glin, it's me, Elphaba. Wake up."

Galinda's eyelids slowly fluttered open and she looked up at the green girl. "El-phie…?"

"It's alright. You'll be fine. The doctor said its just anemia and you'll be fine. Just rest."

Galinda closed her eyes again and shifted her position.

"I'm sorry," Elphaba whispered and Galinda's eyes opened.

"Wh-What…?"

"I'm sorry I hit you. I'm sorry I keep pushing you. It's just… you seem so upset and distant lately. If this is still about your parents, I understand, but I feel like there's more. Like there's something else you're not telling me. And I want to know so I can help you."

Galinda simply looked up at the green girl. "I…"

"You're tired. I'll let you rest now," Elphaba interrupted gently, standing up. "I'll come back to check up on you later. Are you hungry?"

Galinda shook her head.

"Do you need or want anything else?"

Another head shake.

Elphaba nodded. "Goodnight."

"N-Night."

Elphaba gave the blonde a small smile as she slipped out the door and closed it behind her. Galinda sighed and placed her hand against her abdomen. Someone was bound to find out soon, and she couldn't let that happen. No matter what happened to her, she was now creating a new life; a new, innocent life. She couldn't let anything happen to him or her. She may not remember much about her own mother, but that didn't stop her from recognizing the motherly feeling of having to protect her child. And she was going to do whatever it took.

* * *

As the blonde's birthday drew near, the weather got hotter. And it seemed that it was Elphaba's turn to be the moody one. She was beginning to revert to her old ways; not intentionally, but it still concerned Galinda. She had been more careful to try to be her old self and pretend that nothing was bothering her, but Elphaba seemed to have no problem getting mad over every little thing. Even when Galinda did what she wanted, she still found a reason to get mad at her friend.

Three days before Galinda's birthday, Elphaba went to Galinda's room to apologize for her behavior and explain what was going on.

"Ever since we got married, people have been speculating when Fiyero and I are going to have a child," Elphaba admitted as both girls sat on the blonde's bed, with Galinda brushing her hair. "And not just the people outside. Fiyero said that he overheard some of the guards betting on when I would become pregnant. But we've been trying. We've been trying for months and nothing's happened. I've tried to tell myself that these things take time, but what if something's wrong with me? What if I can't get pregnant and produce an heir?" She signaled for Galinda to stop and looked at her. Galinda could see the fear and confusion in the green girl's eyes and she softened.

"N-Nothing… wrong w-with y-you," she said, gently rubbing the green girl's shoulder.

Elphaba sighed. "H-Have you ever though about what it would be like to have your own child? I mean… before you came here, of course."

Galinda thought for a moment. "W-Would be… chall-eng-ing."

"All of the crying and diaper changing and sleepless nights… but then their first smile, first steps, first words…"

"Y-You w-want a… b-baby?"

Elphaba hugged her midsection. "It would be nice. Just the idea of creating and bringing another life into this world is exciting and terrifying at the same time." She paused for a moment. "If… if you weren't here… would you still want to get married and become a mother?"

"Does s-seem… n-nice," Galinda mulled.

"Fiyero doesn't know how deeply I feel about this. I mean… he knows I'm upset and tired, and he even agreed to let us take a break for a while, but… I don't know how much longer I can keep accepting this failure without thinking that there's something wrong with me."

"Y-You're… just… f-f-fine."

Elphaba felt slightly better now that she had shared her thoughts and fear with her best friend. And she knew that when Galinda was ready, she would reciprocate. "Glin?"

"Hmm?"

"Should we… keep trying?"

The blonde smiled a supportive smile. "If y-you want t-to."

"I… do. I do want to. I want to have a baby."

Galinda couldn't help but feel sorry for Elphaba and slightly guilty. Here the green girl was, trying to have the very thing the blonde had, but wasn't supposed to have. If she could, she would change it so Elphaba would be having the baby instead of her. Things would be alright then. She wanted to pretend that nothing had happened and nothing had changed, but she couldn't. So much had happened and even more had changed.

Instead, she simply settled on hugging the green girl and reassuring her that she will get her time.

"Thanks, Galinda," Elphaba had said, smiling, but then quickly frowning. "Galinda, are you alright? You seem to… be gaining some weight? Is this a side affect of your anemia?"

Galinda stiffened. What was she thinking? She had to be more careful. She looked over into Elphaba's concerned eyes and quickly plastered on a tired smile. "Y-Yes."

"You should get some rest. I'll have some food sent up to you later on," Elphaba said as she got up and walked towards the door. "Galinda?"

"Y-Yes, El-phie?"

"You'll be okay… right?"

Galinda's lips twitched and she nodded. "I'll b-be… f-fine."

Elphaba looked relieved as she gave the blonde a small wave and disappeared, closing the door behind her.

When Fiyero came back to the bedroom, he found Elphaba already dressed in her nightgown, waiting on top of the covers for him.

"This is a nice surprise," Fiyero said, getting into bed and shimming closer to his wife. "You waited up for me?"

"Of course I did, Yero. I wanted to tell you something," Elphaba said, allowing herself to melt against her husband's embrace.

"Oh?" Fiyero asked, kissing her neck. "And what's that?"

"I want to start trying again."

Fiyero paused mid-kissed and blinked. Elphaba noticed this change and looked up at him. "Yero?"

"Are you sure, Fae? Because… this hasn't been working out the way we thought, and I hate seeing you upset…"

"We have to keep trying, Yero. I want a baby. I never thought I'd hear myself say this, especially when I first met you, but I… I want to have a child with you."

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Fiyero asked, caressing her cheek.

"I'm sure this is what I want." She kissed him passionately, and even though the prince was surprised, he didn't protest and made a soft moaning sound in the back of his throat. Elphaba mumbled something as the kiss deepened, all worldly troubles forgotten for a few moments, and the two lovers were together with just each other.

Before Galinda closed her eyes that night, she made her final decision. Before someone found her out, she was going to get herself and her baby out of harm's way. She wouldn't let them get to her. She was going to leave the palace. She was going to run away. And soon.

* * *

 **We'll have more Fiyeraba in the coming chapters, I promise. I just want to focus on Elphaba and Galinda first for a change.**


	12. A Truth Revealed

**I love how you all have predictions and theories about how this is going to play out for everyone.**

 **Rose (Guest): Thank you for your kind words!**

* * *

Running away was easier said than done. As her birthday approached, Galinda found herself spending more and more time with Elphaba, just like old times. For a while, the girls didn't seem to have any problems. They did everything they used to do; go for walks, tell each other stories and secrets (for the most part), and braiding each other's hair. Galinda would always tell herself she would leave the following night, but something always happened that bound her to the palace.

It's not that she wanted to leave. Galinda wanted nothing more than to stay with Elphaba. She didn't want to lose the only friend she ever had. She never thought she would enjoy life, but she really enjoyed living in the Emerald City Palace. So, she tried her best to hide from her friend what was wrong. And everything went on normally.

Finally, on the morning of June sixteenth, Galinda woke up to the smell of food beneath her nose. She slowly opened her eyes and smiled, seeing a tray of food on her nightstand and Elphaba sitting near the window. "Hi," she mumbled sleepily, yawning and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Morning," Elphaba smiled. "Happy birthday."

"Th-Thank you," Galinda smiled, looking at the breakfast of bacon and eggs and a muffin with strawberry jam.

Both girls ate before getting dressed and ready for the day. Elphaba went first, and while Galinda was getting ready, the green girl took the time to get the blonde's presents. When Galinda came out, all she could do was blink at the sight of all the presents on her bed. There were only around seven or eight, but she had never seen so many beautifully wrapped boxes in her life. Especially when they were all for her.

"Come on," Elphaba smiled, pulling Galinda over to the bed. "Open your presents!"

After opening her presents, and thanking Elphaba for her new hand-mirror, hairbrush, umbrella, a new fantasy novel, a new dress, a new pair of shoes, a pink flower hair clip, and a journal, the girls spend most of the day together. Fiyero popped in a few times, and on the fifth time, called Elphaba away. Confused, Elphaba followed her husband out and asked him what was wrong.

"The doctor is back," Fiyero said gently.

Elphaba blinked. "What did he say?"

Fiyero held up a little bottle of a light blue liquid. "Drink this. He'll be back in around two weeks to see the results."

Elphaba looked at the bottle before taking it from her husband. "Will this work?"

"That's why he'll be back in two weeks."

Elphaba nodded and looked at the liquid. "Okay."

"Are you sure you want to do this, Fae?"

"I have to, Yero. This might be our only hope."

Fiyero nodded and kissed his wife. "As long as you're sure."

"I am."

The couple embraced and Elphaba went back to Galinda's room. She hid the drink by pocketing it, not feeling like discussing it with the blonde. She quickly resumed spending time with Galinda as if they hadn't been interrupted. Little did both girls know that both of them were keeping secrets from each other.

* * *

For two weeks, everything was fine. For two weeks, everything was normal. Then it all came crashing down.

The doctor came to visit Elphaba and Fiyero near the end of the month. He asked them questions and they answered honestly. Then, after examining and running tests on Elphaba, he gave them the news.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," the doctor said once Fiyero was allowed back in the room and settled down next to his wife. "I'm afraid I have figured out why Your Highnesses have been having trouble conceiving."

Elphaba bit her lip and held her breath, faintly aware of Fiyero squeezing her hand in a heartbeat rhythm. "Yes?"

"It is because your eggs are not strong enough to attach to your uterine wall after being fertilized. I believe you've had a few successful fertilizations, but they've all ended simply because the eggs aren't strong enough."

"So… we'll never have a baby?"

The doctor wet his lips. "I'm not saying that. But I am saying that it is very unlikely, but not impossible."

"There's nothing you could give her to make her eggs stronger?" Fiyero asked.

"I'm afraid I do not have anything. I have heard about this type of case, but I've never seen it with my own eyes."

Elphaba was silent. They had figured out what was wrong. And it was all her fault. Fiyero had pulled her against him, but she was barely aware of anything other than her quickened breathing. The doctor bowed and showed himself out.

"Oh, Fae…" Fiyero whispered.

"It's all my fault," Elphaba said into Fiyero's shirt.

"That's not what the doctor said, Fae," Fiyero said, kissing her forehead. "Nothing is your fault."

"Well, nothing's wrong with you!"

Fiyero was about to make a boyish comment on that, but knew that Elphaba wasn't in the mood, and didn't want to make her even more upset. "And nothing's wrong with you, either, sweetheart. You can't control these things. Look at me," he said gently lifting Elphaba's chin to meet his gaze. "Everything will be fine. We will have a baby someday."

"You heard what the doctor said, Fiyero. He said it wasn't very likely."

"But he also said it wasn't impossible." He wiped the tears from her eyes and kissed her again. "We'll get our baby."

Elphaba didn't say anything, but simply leaned her head against Fiyero's chest. Fiyero instantly wrapped his arms around her and gently rocked her in his arms. He whispered words of comfort into her ear, trying to reassure her that everything would work out.

The next day, when Elphaba confessed to Galinda what was wrong, the blonde made her final decision. She knew that it was now time. She couldn't live in the same house as Elphaba, knowing she had something the princess couldn't have… and wanted. Of course she wanted to be there for her friend, and didn't want to make it look like she was abandoning her, but the risk was too great now. She was approaching the five-month mark and she could already tell some of the maids were speculating about her amongst themselves. She had no idea if Madame Morrible knew, but knew the older woman would have no problem telling her secret. She survived on wearing loose fitting dresses, but knew she couldn't be able to last like that for long. She had to get out while she still could.

That night, after she said goodnight to Elphaba, Galinda quickly and quietly packed a small bag of food, water, her hairbrush and mirror, along with an extra dress and all the money she had earned since she started working at the Emerald City Palace. She looked at the flower clip Elphaba had given to her for her birthday. She took it in her hand and placed it on her pillow. Once she finished packing, she waited until she was sure most of the palace was asleep before twirling her cloak around her shoulder and slipping out of her room and down the stairs. She knew it would be too hard to sneak out the front entrance because of the heavy door and guards, so she decided to go out through the garden. The full moon gave her all the light she needed make it through the garden. Once she reached the wall, she scaled the big oak tree and climbed over the wall. She landed on the other side with a soft thud and a moan, but quickly got up and started running. She didn't get very far before she looked back, whispering a silent apology to the princess and took off again. By the time Elphaba wakes up the next morning, she would have been long gone.

Just as the blonde had predicted, when Elphaba awoke, she was not in her room. Startled and a bit worried, Elphaba checked every place where she thought Galinda would be, from the library to the drawing room, but she wasn't there. She asked around, but no one had seen the blonde since the previous night.

"Where could she be?" Elphaba asked Fiyero. "She's not anywhere in the palace. Where could she have gone?"

"I don't know, Fae," Fiyero said, hating to see Elphaba this stressed out.

"Something must have happened to her. She wouldn't have just gone somewhere without telling me. We have to make sure she's alright."

"Elphaba," Fiyero said, gently grabbing her shoulders. "You'll get all worked up. We'll find her."

Elphaba nodded and accepted a kiss on the cheek from her husband before going back to Galinda's room. There must be some type of clue as to what had happened to her. She wouldn't just leave her like that. Especially after what she had confessed.

Days passed and there was still no sign of the blonde. It was now mid-July, and it couldn't have been hotter and Elphaba was starting to get worried.

"Maybe she went to visit family," Fiyero suggested.

"Fiyero, she's an orphan," Elphaba said.

Fiyero looked ashamed that he had forgotten that detail about the blonde's life and awkwardly cleared his throat. "I have my men looking out for her. They'll find her. Maybe she's…"

"Excuse me, Your Highnesses," one of the generals said, coming up to the royal couple and bowing.

"What is it, General?" Fiyero asked.

"I have news about Miss Galinda," the general said, looking more at Elphaba than Fiyero.

"Where is she? Is she alright?" Elphaba asked.

"My men and I have been searching the city, and a few of the lesser soldiers have been listening around for clues in the palace. I believe we've come to a conclusion as to what had happened."

"Yes?" Fiyero asked.

"She ran away."

Elphaba blinked. "No. No, Galinda wouldn't have done that. She's my best friend. Why would she have run away?"

"To escape the consequences."

"Consequences of what?"

"Being pregnant."

The news sunk in. Elphaba blinked once. Twice. Galinda is pregnant? For how long? How long had she been hiding that from her? How long had she been lying to her? "Wh-What?"

"One of my men overheard some of the palace guards talking about how one of them had bedded your lady-in-waiting. And the maids had been talking about how Miss Galinda had gained weight, with an edge that she looked pregnant."

"Which one?"

"I do not know, Your Highness."

"But there's no proof!"

"We found these in Miss Galinda's drawer," the general said, taking a small bottle of red pills from his pocket.

"Rud Rash," Fiyero read. "Isn't this…"

"Yes. A pill to terminate pregnancies. It is still unopened, so she hasn't taken it."

Fiyero looked at Elphaba, who looked like she was going to faint. "Find her," he said. "Find her and bring her back."

"I have already sent out a hunting party with dogs out to find her, Your Highness," the general said.

"Alive," Elphaba added softly. "Bring her back alive."

"Of course, Your Highness," the general said. "She will be brought back alive."

"Thank you, General," Fiyero said.

The general nodded and bowed before leaving. He took Elphaba's hand and led her to their bedroom. "Talk to me, Fae."

"Galinda's pregnant. She's pregnant and she didn't tell me. How could she?"

"Fae…"

"She knew what I was going through! She lied to me. She said that nothing was wrong. That everything was okay."

"Elphaba…"

"How could she betray me like this? I told her everything. I even thought she had gained weight. And I believed that she had anemia!"

Fiyero had no choice but to wait out the rant. When it seemed like it was finally over, he opened his mouth to speak, but Elphaba held up her hand to stop him.

"Don't you dare try to get me to understand her side of the story! She didn't have to run away! She didn't have to leave me the way she did. She could have come to me!"

"What was she supposed to tell you, Fae? That she purposefully had sex with a guard, knowing she wasn't supposed to? She knows what the consequences are for doing that, and especially if she got pregnant. You couldn't have expected her to confess."

"I told you not to try to get me to understand her side of the story!"

"I'm not trying to. I'm just trying to tell you what probably happened."

"I have every right to be mad at her."

"I'm not saying that you don't."

"She betrayed me."

"They will find her and bring her back."

Elphaba set her cold eyes on the horizon, her eyelids narrowing at the beautiful sight of the colors the sunset created. "I know. They'd better."

Meanwhile, Galinda had taken up shelter in an abandoned shed for the past few days. She had found some wild blueberries in the forest and ate those to help conserve her own food. She was just about to start moving again. She had no idea where she was going to go, but she was headed towards Munchkinland. Maybe she could find a job and a place to stay where she and her child would be safe. She had just packed her bag when she heard a noise. She peaked out the window and gasped, seeing a group of Gale Force soldiers with dogs coming towards the shed. The dogs were sniffing the ground, picking up her scent.

"Check in there!" one of them shouted, pointing at the shed.

Galinda gasped and looked around. They had found her. She tried to find another way to escape unnoticed. The window wasn't big enough for her to climb out of, and then there was only the front door. There was nothing big enough for her to hide behind, and even if there was, they would still come in the shed and find her. She knew she couldn't fight them off; they had guns and dogs, and all she had was a hairbrush and a mirror. All she could do was wait until they opened the door and discovered her.

Their footsteps seemed to grow louder and slower as they approached. Galinda felt her heart jump into her throat and they tried to break down the door. She took a step back, hearing their grunts of strength and frustration. The dogs barked and a few heartbeats later, the door caved in.

"Well, well, well," one of the soldiers said, stepping into the room towards Galinda. "Look who we finally found."

The group rushed in and grabbed her. The dogs continued to bark as they ran around the shed, seemingly trying to signal someone else. The blonde tried to get away, even though she knew she didn't have a chance. She knew this was it. She just didn't know what she was more afraid of; facing her fate, or facing Elphaba.

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 ***Prepares for Nia Hunters* I'm not scared of the Nia Hunters! Bring it on!**


	13. A Verdict

**LifelongLeahstar: Thank you for being the ONE and ONLY Nia Protector!**

 **Imaginingdragons: Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far.**

 **aramenunicorn (Guest): *Looks at lit match suspiciously* Um… I'm gonna… go over here *Moves away from fire***

 **Torchakaywrites: I'm not afraid. A little worried, maybe, but not afraid.**

 **WARNING: This chapter deals with very strong insensitivity. This deals with a very heavy topic and I understand if this will make some people feel uncomfortable and upset. But given the context of this story and in the type of society this takes place in, this is what women in some countries really go through. I'm sorry if this chapter offends anyone, but I can promise that this is as deep as the story will go.**

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The walk back was long for Galinda. She had gotten to the other side of the Munchkinland Forest, and the fact that she was forced to walk through the night didn't make it any better. She grew faint and almost fell many times, but the guards didn't show her any mercy and just continued to push her forward. When they finally got there, the sun was just starting to rise. She was promptly taken inside and pulled down the hallway to the Southstairs. She fought to get away, and managed to run in the opposite direction, almost making it to the stairs leading up to her old room, when the guards grabbed her. They slapped her across the face and dragged her by her hair down the hall, knocking her out with the butt of a gun when she wouldn't stop screaming.

When the blonde came to, she found herself chained to a wall in a small, dirty cell. She tried to move, but every part of her body hurt. She slowly lifted her gaze to the window and saw that the sun was not fully risen yet. Looking down at her baby bump, she lifted a chained hand and gently rubbed it. She felt a light flutter and smiled. It was real. It was all real.

Footsteps caught her attention and she realized another thing that was also very real. Turning, she watched as two very tall, well-built guards opened the squeaky cell door. They gruffly pulled her to her feet, ignoring the fact that she was still chained by her wrists and ankles. The blonde gasped in pain, and the guards unlocked her shackles before pulling her out of the cell. She was brought before a man she had never seen before, which worried her. The fact that she had been at the palace for a while and never seen him gave her the feeling that he was the type of man you never wanted to see.

She was forced to her knees in front of this strange man and listened as the guards went away to stand by the doors, probably to make sure she didn't try to escape. Galinda maintained a gaze on the floor, refusing to look up.

"Who is this?" the man finally said. He had a very deep voice, but still spoke with authority. The sound of his voice sent shivers down Galinda's spine, for to her, his voice sounded like death itself.

"The pregnant one who ran away, Master Sarl," one of the guards from the door said.

Galinda wanted to speak out, but didn't dare. She had to play her cards right. Maybe they would kill her quickly instead of making her suffer until the end if she did.

The man made a noise of understanding and stepped over to Galinda. He forced her to her feet and looked at her rounded belly. He narrowed his eyes at the baby budge and muttered under his breath. "You served the princess, correct?"

"Yes," Galinda answered softly.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, sir."

Master Sarl didn't look pleased. "And you decided to dishonor your commitment to our wonderful Wizard to remain a virgin as long as you are in his service, have you not?"

"I d-did not," Galinda said, her gaze still down.

He pretended not to hear that. "You were completely aware of your duty to remain pure and not defile yourself in the utmost way."

"No."

"You were not clear?"

"I d-did-n't de-file m-myself –"

"Then what do you call this?!" he asked angrily, gesturing to Galinda's stomach.

"N-Not… wh-what it… l-looks… like."

"It is exactly what it looks like. And speak clearly. I will not allow stuttering in my presence, especially from a slave girl."

Galinda looked down. She didn't want to go through what she went through when she first met Elphaba. She couldn't explain what had happened. And even if she did, would they believe her?

"You know what punishment awaits you, don't you, girl?"

Galinda didn't answer.

Master Sarl grabbed Galinda by the front of her dirty dress and pulled her closer to him, forcing her to look into his eyes. As soon as she did, she wished she didn't. His almost-black eyes blazed with fury and power, terrifying the petite blonde. "Answer me!" he commanded.

"No, sir," Galinda finally whispered.

"The punishment for all who defy the Wizard is death."

Hearing it actually spoken to her was much different than telling herself that. It made it more real. It was her sentence.

"And if what you did wasn't bad enough, running away made it even worse. You will hang tomorrow morning as soon as the sun rises."

Galinda gasped. So soon? Even Nuna had more time.

"And to conceive out of wedlock! A bastard child!"

Galinda protectively wrapped her arms around her abdomen, as if she could protect it from him.

"Have you anything to say for yourself?"

"It's n-not my f-fault."

"How is this not your fault? You are clearly bearing witness that this _is_ your fault. You had forbidden sex and have defiled yourself. And you are carrying around the proof of your impurity!"

Everything after that happened so fast. Galinda quickly slapped Master Sarl across the face and bolted when he let her go. She was quickly caught by the guards who where standing there and they quickly pulled her hands behind her back. She screamed out in protest as they tried to force her to her knees, but she wasn't having any of it. She kicked and head-butted the two of them, trying to get away.

"Take her out of here!" Master Sarl shouted, regaining himself. "Take her and whip her!"

Galinda continued to fight the guards, even though she could feel herself growing weary.

"Punish this insolent slave for her crimes!" Master Sarl shouted. "She must be punished for her sin!"

"I WAS R-RAPED!" Galinda screamed at the top of her lungs.

Everything stopped. Times stood still. No one moved or made a sound. The three men stared at the hysterical girl. Galinda's breaths came out short and rigid. She couldn't believe she just did that. Saying it out loud made it seem even realer to her, though she couldn't imagine how it could have gotten realer at that moment. But… there. It was out. The truth came out.

"What?" Master Sarl asked after recovering by the blonde's sudden outburst.

"I w-was r-raped," Galinda repeated, her voice quivering with fear, but with a slight edge. It was much harder for her to say it the second time.

"By whom?"

"Avaric."

Master Sarl was silent for a moment. For a clock-tick, Galinda thought he was actually going to show mercy.

"You honestly expect me to believe that one of our most trustworthy soldiers impregnated you, girl?"

"Yes."

"Why, you might as well have said that Prince Fiyero did it."

Galinda blinked. He didn't believe her. He thought she was lying. Why would she lie about something like this? "H-He t-took… me one n-night a-and… r-raped me. It's the t-truth."

"Why are you saying this now? Why do you wait until it is too late to say something?"

"I w-was... afraid."

Master Sarl sniffed. "Did you do something to seduce him?"

"No!"

"Do you have a history of seducing men?"

Galinda was shocked and boiling angry. "No!"

"You will not raise your voice at me, girl. I can have you killed tonight if I wish, you lying, filthy fiend."

"P-Punish A-Avaric!"

"You will not give orders to me! This is not Avaric's punishment to take. It's yours. You are more responsible than he is."

"H-How?"

"You chose to have sex with that man."

"I d-did n-not… choose to!"

"Then I shall ask him. And if he says something different, girl, I promise you that you will be wishing for death," Master Sarl said as he threw her to the ground and walked past her out the doors.

Galinda pushed herself up and sat on the floor. Of course Avaric wasn't going to tell the truth. And even if he did, he wouldn't be punished for it. Her blood boiled as she pictured his face and tried to wipe it clean out of her mind.

Moments later, Master Sarl returned. Galinda turned and slowly pushed herself up, trying not to grimace in pain.

"You are a sniveling liar," Master Sarl snarled. "Avaric has confessed, but he said that you tricked him. You seduced him and pleaded with him to take you. You wanted it."

The blonde's fists balled. Avaric had lied and he was believed, and she was accused of being a liar. They didn't know what she had been through. They didn't even care.

"Take her out and whip her," Master Sarl said to the guards. "Thirty lashes for her sin, thirty for raising her voice at me, and twenty more for lying just now. Tomorrow, at sunrise, she hangs!"

The two guards took a struggling Galinda by the arms and dragged her away to the whipping post. They tied her hands together, and then to the poll as the whips were readied. Galinda screamed in pain as the hard whip made contact with her back and sides. At around fifty lashes, she had become numb to the pain and could only feel the blood leaving her body.

By the time her eighty lashes were over, she could barely feel anything other than numbness. She supposed she should be grateful for being temporarily painless, since she knew she would long for it once it wore off. The guards untied her and she slumber to the floor, barely able to move. She sensed footsteps approaching her. She closed her eyes, was lifted up, and carried over the shoulder of one of the guards. They threw her back into her cell where she rolled a few inches before stopping.

"Enjoy your final night," one said before leaving and bolting the door behind him.

As the hours wore on, Galinda began to feel the numbness wearing off and the pain setting in. She whimpered, wanting to move, but every movement hurt. It even hurt to open her eyes, so she just kept them closed. Slowly, but surely, she managed to crawl over to her straw cot and collapsed onto the scratchy bedding. She moved a shaky hand to her abdomen and felt the flutter of life.

Maybe she should have taken the pills. Maybe none of this would have happened. She could have still been with Elphaba and pretend like nothing had happened. She chose to be here. She chose her fate. But now that she made her choice, would she be able to change it?

Now, all she could do was wait. Wait for the sun to rise. Wait for her life to be over. She would never see Elphaba again, but she doubted the green girl wanted to see her, anyway. She wondered if she would ever find out the truth. She would probably feel guilty, and that's the last thing the blonde wanted. To say that she was scared was an understatement. She was terrified.

Her thoughts drifted to what would happen to her after she died. Maybe she'll see her parents again and be with them forever. Maybe she'll be somewhere where she won't feel any more pain. Maybe she'll be somewhere where she'll never have any worries ever again. But for now, all she could do was wait, try to push those thoughts out of her mind, and hope the sun rose slowly.

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 **I apologize again if this chapter made anyone uncomfortable or upset, but I promise that this is as far deep as the story will go.**


	14. A Red Moon

**woodland59: I did know that. Completely disgusting!**

 **aramenunicorn (Guest): *Looks at weapons and fire cautiously* Um… I'm just gonna… um… let you read the chapter.**

 **I forgot to say this in the last chapter, but special congrats and thank you to my 100th reviewer Ultimate Queen of Cliffies! Here are some virtual chocolate cupcakes and a chapter dedication!**

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When Galinda opened her eyes the next morning, it was still dark outside. The moon was still up and her entire body still felt tired, whether it was from her disturbed sleep or what had happened to her, she's didn't know, nor care. Blinking, she wondered what had woken her up in the first place. The distant sounds of muffled voices reached her ears and she realized that was the reason why she was awake. She knew they were yelling something, but didn't know what they were yelling about. As footsteps approached and ran past, she was able to catch a few words.

"Knife… blood… Wizard… dead in bed…"

She sank away. The Wizard had been stabbed? By who? Why? She heard more rushed footsteps and hurried voices as she tried to get more information.

"Prince Fiyero… Princess Elphaba… crowned immediately…"

"… Getting ready now…"

"… Ready the guard…"

The coronation. It would be taking place immediately, before her execution. Galinda bit her lip. Could she be saved? The Wizard had the opportunity to save Nuna, but he didn't. Would Fiyero be the same way? Would he just allow her to hang?

The sun rose and hours passed. When no one came to collect her, Galinda began to think that she had been forgotten about in the chaos of the Wizard's death. But as most light streamed into the small cell, those thoughts were proved wrong when she heard someone unlocking the cell. She looked up and saw the guard who had whipped her.

"Relax," he said gruffly, which didn't do anything to help Galinda relax. "You're not going to die... today."

Galinda looked at him suspicious, not going to get her hopes up so quickly.

"The new king has declared that you are to be let go and brought before him. But don't get your hopes up." He undid her shackles and pulled her to her feet, ignoring how exhausted she was. When they got to the throne room, Galinda felt like she was going to collapse. The soldiers standing guard opened the doors and Galinda was pulled inside. What she saw made her gasp.

Fiyero was sitting on the Wizard's throne, which was technically his throne now. Elphaba was sitting on what would have been her mother's throne. Both looked extremely tired and sad. They were still in their coronation outfits; Elphaba in her gold and silver gown and Fiyero in a matching gold and silver suit. The green girl looked like she just finished crying, but her face lightened up a bit when she saw Galinda.

The guard forced Galinda to her knees and bowed to the royals.

"Leave us," Fiyero said.

The guard bowed and left. Galinda remained on her knees, not moving. She sensed movement coming from the thrones and a clock-tick later, Elphaba had her arms wrapped around her. The blonde hissed in pain and Elphaba gently pulled away.

"I'm sorry," Elphaba said as she gently took the blonde's hands. "I'm so sorry, Galinda."

Galinda looked up at the now-queen. For some reason, Elphaba looked older than she had a few days ago. A lot had happened to her. But a lot more had happened to the blonde. She lowered her gaze to the floor, avoiding Elphaba's eyes.

Elphaba knew it would take more than an apology to rebuild their friendship. She looked up at her husband, who was simply watching. Fiyero, seemingly knowing what his wife wanted, called for one of the maids to prepare a warm bath for Galinda. Elphaba moved to help her up, but she shielded away and slowly rose to her feet, but not without grimacing in pain. Elphaba's gaze fell on Galinda's baby bump and she stared at it sadly. All she could do was watch as Galinda left with the maid.

Fiyero came down from the throne and wrapped his arms around his wife. "Fae…"

"This is all my fault," Elphaba whispered, more to herself than to Fiyero.

"It's not, Fae."

"I could have helped her. I should have helped her. I should have begged for my father to show mercy on her. But I didn't. I was so angry and upset that I didn't."

"But you saved her life."

"It should have been done sooner."

Fiyero didn't know what to say. He knew his wife wouldn't listen to him, especially after everything that happened. After a brief back-and-forth, he managed to talk her into getting something to eat while Galinda had her bath. Elphaba couldn't remember the last thing she ate, but her mind was completely preoccupied.

Galinda had a long soak in the bath. The wounds from her whipping still stung, but the bath seemed to help a little bit. When she got out, she couldn't reach the wounds on her back with the ointment, so she simply just put it on her sides as far as she could reach. She changed into a simple pale pink dress and sat on her bed, running her fingers over the soft cover.

Someone knocked at the door a few minutes later, but Galinda barely registered it. The door opened and Elphaba came in, carrying a tray of tea and a sandwich.

"Hi," she said softly. "May I come in?"

Galinda didn't look up or answer.

"I figured that you… um… hadn't eaten in a while and… I brought you a sandwich and some tea," she said as she came in and set the tray down on the nightstand. She regarded her old friend as she sat down on the bed next to her. "I can't imagine what you just went through, Galinda, and to be quite honest, I don't want to. I cannot fathom how horrible it was for you. Are you… alright… considering everything, I mean."

The blonde still refused to answer.

"Galinda?"

No response.

"Galinda, please answer me."

Silence.

"Well, the least you could do is speak to me after I just saved your life!" Elphaba shouted at the top of her lungs at the blonde.

Galinda recoiled and shielded away from the loud voice, and Elphaba immediately regretted it. "I'm so sorry," she said sincerely, calming down. "I didn't mean to do that. But, please, Glin, talk to me."

Galinda slowly lifted her gaze to Elphaba. She began searching the green girl, though she wasn't quite sure what she was searching for. Elphaba gently took her hand and she looked down. Could she trust the green girl again? "Th-Thank… y-you," she finally said before turning away quickly.

Elphaba would have been hurt by the blonde seemingly fake 'thank you', but she knew she was just reacting to everything. She gently reached out to touch her friend, but stopped. "Can I… get you anything?"

Galinda shook her head.

"Are you… okay?"

A pause, and Galinda shook her head again.

"Is it your back?"

A nod.

Elphaba got up. "I'll be right back."

Galinda heard Elphaba leave and when she came back, she was carrying the ointment. Sitting back down, the green girl gently moved to help the blonde remove her dress. As a reaction, Galinda immediately jumped up and scurried away, ignoring the pain shooting through her body.

"I'm sorry," Elphaba apologized for the third time. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I just want to help you."

Galinda looked at the queen with scared eyes. She wanted to trust her, but she couldn't. So much had happened, to both of them. She slowly backed into the corner, her eyes never leaving Elphaba.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I promise. I just want to help make you feel better," Elphaba said softly, taking a small step towards the blonde. "Please let me help you." Another step. "I know you don't fully trust me yet, but please let me do this for you." She kept taking small steps until she was an arms length away from Galinda. She gently reached out and took her hand. Galinda stiffened, but didn't pull away, which Elphaba took as a good sign. She gently guided Galinda back to the bed and helped her remove her dress and sit down.

"Lay down," she said gently.

Galinda hesitated, but with a gentle, encouraging smile from Elphaba, she slowly laid down and hugged her pillow against her chest. Elphaba scooped out the ointment onto three fingers and, lifting Galinda's slip to reach her back, gently applied the ointment. Galinda whimpered and stiffened in pain, but soon relaxed as she felt the cool, soothing medicine on her back.

"Is that better?" Elphaba asked as she closed the bottle.

"Y-Yes," Galinda said, allowing Elphaba to help her put her dress back on. "Th-Thank you."

Elphaba nodded and put the ointment back. When she returned, Galinda was still on her bed, still hugging her pillow. "Do you… want me to stay?"

Galinda looked up and nodded slowly. She scooted over and Elphaba sat down. "I've missed you."

Galinda looked up at her. "I d-did… too."

Elphaba looked down at her abdomen. "A-Are you going to… um…"

Galinda looked down and bit her lip. "D-Don't know…"

"You don't have to get the procedure. It's very dangerous, especially since you're so far along. I don't want anymore else to happen to you."

The blonde nodded and looked at the bottle of red pills on her nightstand.

"Do you still want it?"

Galinda shrugged. She felt a flutter inside of her and sighed. She couldn't kill this life. Maybe she could put it up for adoption when it's born. Life in an orphanage was tough, but the child couldn't stay here. Especially not with Avaric still around. Plus, she wasn't even supposed to be a mother. She was sure she wouldn't make a good one, anyway.

"This is your decision, Galinda. I just want you do know that… despite everything… I still consider you my best friend and I don't want you to get hurt any more than you already were."

"O-Okay," Galinda whispered, her hand resting on her abdomen.

The girls sat in silence for a moment until Elphaba decided to speak up. "Um… I just wanted to let you know that Fiyero is working on some new laws to help protect women… and girls… who go through what you went through. He knows that things need to change in Oz, and though it won't be overnight, he's going to try his hardest. And I am, too."

Galinda's lips twitched. "Th-Thank you, El-phie."

Elphaba smiled at the use of her nickname and gently hugged her friend, careful of her wounds. "You're welcome, Glin." She gently pulled away. "Get some rest. You've been through a lot. Drink the tea before it gets cold and the sandwich is still there if you get hungry."

Galinda nodded and watched as her friend turned to leave, but she called her back.

"Yes?" Elphaba asked as she turned.

"I… I'm s-sorry a-bout… your f-father."

Elphaba stiffened and Galinda immediately knew that it was the wrong thing to say at the wrong time. She moved to apologize, but Elphaba just held up her hand to stop her. "It's okay. He had a… good reign. Now it's Fiyero's and my turn, no matter how much sooner than we thought. Fiyero has been telling me he wanted to change some of those laws. Now he gets the chance to."

Galinda nodded and watched as the queen left. She was really trying. And Fiyero was going to change some laws in Oz. Laws that needed to be updated and rewritten to protect every citizen of Oz. As she drifted off to sleep, she realized that everything would be fine.

The blonde slept for the rest of the day, and Elphaba didn't expect any less. She checked up on her, as promised. She would stay for a few minutes, making sure Galinda was alright and her back wounds didn't need any more ointment before she would leave.

That night, Elphaba was startled awake. She blinked the fogginess out of her eyes. She didn't hear any noises, and she didn't have a nightmare. She hadn't been accidentally slapped by Fiyero, who was peacefully asleep, his back turned to her and soft snores escaping his slightly parted lips. Her mind immediately flashed to Galinda and she jumped out of bed and twirled her robe around her shoulders, ignoring her husband's senseless mumbles. She hurried to Galinda's room and knocked on the door. When no one answered, she pushed it open and found a horrifying and unexpected sight.

Galinda was lying on the floor, motionless and covered in blood, with an opened bottle of the red pills in her hand, half still in the bottle, and half spilt out onto the carpet.

"Oh, Oz! GALINDA!" the green girl screamed at the top of her lungs, rushing to the blonde's side and kneeling down next to her.


	15. A New Chance

**Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: You know me! I'm ALWAYS careful!**

 **woodland59: Yeah… as soon as you find me.**

* * *

A few servants heard Elphaba's screams and rushed into the room. Their eyes immediately fell on the queen and the blonde girl covered in blood and could only stand there.

"Don't just stand there!" Elphaba shouted at them. "Get help!"

Two of the servants ran out, bumping into each other in the process, but still managed to get out.

"Shall we wake the king, Your Majesty?" one of the maids asked.

It took Elphaba a second to realize that the maid was speaking to her. She still wasn't used to being called 'Your Majesty'. "N-No. Let him sleep," Elphaba said, searching for Galinda's pulse. It was faint, but it was there.

The doctor soon came and lifted Galinda back to bed. He cleaned her up, examined her, and confirmed what Elphaba had suspected.

"She terminated her own pregnancy."

Elphaba's eyes widened in surprise. She wanted to believe that Galinda wouldn't have done something like that. She understood why she was thinking about doing it, but… to see it happening… on top of everything else… it was a lot to handle. "Will she be okay?" she finally asked.

The doctor looked solemn. "Physically, she'll need a lot of rest to recover. She'll have to stay in bed for most of that time and drink a lot of water. Emotionally…" He looked at the petite blonde laying in the bed. "It might take a bit longer."

"What's going on in here?" Fiyero asked as he came into the room, tying his bathrobe.

Elphaba turned. "I told them not to wake you."

"They didn't. I woke up and you weren't in bed, so I got up and heard all the noise in here." The king stepped into the room and the doctor bowed. "What happened in here?"

"Galinda terminated her pregnancy," Elphaba said softly.

Fiyero looked at the petite blonde, then noticed the bottle of red rash. "But… why?"

"We don't know. We can ask her when she wakes up, or whenever she's ready to tell us. But for now, I believe it's best that we all get some sleep."

Elphaba wanted to stay with the blonde, but the doctor had convinced her to go back to sleep, claiming that Galinda would be fine until the morning. She didn't realize how tired she actually was until Fiyero pulled her closer and she leaned her head against his shoulder. The king thanked the doctor before leading his wife back to bed. They snuggled under the covers and Elphaba immediately snuggled closer to Fiyero. The king wrapped his arms around her and gently pulled her closer.

"Are you alright?" Fiyero whispered, half-sleepily.

"Yeah…" Elphaba sighed. "I just hope Galinda will be."

The couple stayed silent for a moment, listening to each other's breathing. They whispered sleepily to each other before dozing off.

When Galinda awoke the next morning, she was alone. She moaned, her whole body aching. For some reason, she felt empty, like a part of her was missing. She slowly moved her head and saw the opened bottle and the events of the previous night hit her. She placed her hand against her abdomen and felt nothing. She didn't know what to feel. She couldn't feel anything emotionally. She felt numb. She tried to push herself up, but a stabbing pain in her abdomen forced her back down.

At that moment, the door opened and Elphaba walked in, wearing a black gown. A maid with a tray of tea came in behind her and set the tray on the nightstand.

"Hi," Elphaba said gently, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking her friend's hand. "How are you feeling?"

"S-Sore," Galinda mumbled.

Elphaba reached over and took the bottle of pain medicine the doctor had left and a glass of water. The blonde dutifully took the medicine.

"Wh-Why d-dressed… like th-that?" she asked as her eyelids grew heavier.

"It's my father's burial today. With everything that happened, he was never laid to rest before Fiyero and I were crowned. We're doing that now."

Galinda made a noise and fell asleep. Elphaba smiled sadly as she wiped Galinda's blonde hair away from her face and looked down at her. For some reason, Galinda's looked so much younger. The queen looked at herself in the mirror. For some reason, she seemed older. She ran her fingers over the bags under her eyes that she had just noticed and got up. So much had changed… and was still going to change.

The burial was long and quiet, taking place in a special part of the palace gardens. A bunch of scriptures were read from the Unnamed God's Great Book as the casket containing the Wizard's body was lowered into the ground. People threw poppies on the grave as it disappeared under the ground and was covered up.

The queen buried her face in her husband's shoulder and sobbed. A few heads turned, but no one said anything. The sun was still shining, as if mocking the solemn day.

"Goodbye, Father," Elphaba whispered, her voice still hoarse from crying as she finally turned in her husband's arms.

Once the casket was all covered up, a few people stayed behind and said a few prayers, but Elphaba said that she wanted to go back. The monarchs, along with their attendants, returned to the palace, where Fiyero immediately suggest that Elphaba take a nap.

"I have to check up on Galinda," Elphaba protested, trying to move past her husband.

"Fae, you're exhausted. You've been through so much. You just buried your father today. Take some time for yourself. You have bags under your eyes, Fae. Your body needs rest."

As much as she wanted to argue, she couldn't. She ended up listening to Fiyero and returning to their room to take a nap. He tucked her in and kissed her forehead, waiting until she was fully asleep before leaving to check up on Galinda himself. Even though he didn't really know the blonde, he still cared for her. She was his wife's best friend, after all. He felt like it was part of his husbandly duty to care for her.

He opened the door to her room and tiptoed inside. Galinda was fast asleep, but looked like she was about to wake up. The king sat down on the chair next to the bed and waited for Galinda to open her eyes.

When she did, she immediately gave him a look of horror, shooting upright and immediately getting dizzy from the pain.

"Easy," Fiyero said gently, reaching out to steady her.

His gesture only made Galinda more frantic and she pulled away, her eyes never leaving his face. Fiyero realized that her reaction must still be because of Avaric, and being around him made her feel uncomfortable. He sighed softly, leaning back and giving Galinda's her personal space. She visibly relaxed a tiny bit, but still stared at him.

"It's just me, Galinda," Fiyero said. "I came to check up on you."

Galinda blinked, still not saying anything.

"I know you were expecting Elphaba, but she's napping right now. She looked really tired, so I told her to take a nap and I came instead."

Galinda nodded. Elphaba shouldn't have to worry about her like that. She needed rest, too.

"So… do you need anything?"

Galinda shook her head.

Fiyero looked down at his lap, clearly feeling awkward. "Galinda?"

The blonde looked up.

"I feel like… we've both been here a while… you longer than me, of course, and… I… I feel as if I don't really know you."

Galinda leaned away from him, clearly not liking where the conversation was going.

"What I mean is… I don't know anything about you other than your name."

Galinda nodded.

The king smiled softly. "And I guess that's all I'm going to know at this point, isn't it?"

The blonde opened her mouth to stay something, but nothing coherent came out.

"It's okay. I understand. You've been through some really hard things, too. I'll let you get some rest. And I'll make sure Elphaba's in here next time." He turned to leave and a very faint "Thank you" reached his ears. He smiled back at the blonde and went back to check on Elphaba, secretly hoping that both women would be alright.

* * *

Only time would tell if the old wounds would be able to be healed. It would still leave some scars, but the initial pain would be gone. As weeks turned into months, Galinda began making an improvement. She began talking more, like she used to, and was able to do more activities with Elphaba. Elphaba, for her part, was actually doing much better. She was getting the hang of ruling Oz with her husband and was looking at the bills he was planning on passing.

"This new law won't be able to punish men from past incidents, but it will be able to protect women in the future, so they won't have to go through what Galinda, and probably a bunch of other women, went through," Fiyero said as he showed his wife a scroll.

Elphaba scanned the paper and smiled. "This is a big step forward."

"I made it myself," Fiyero grinned cheekily.

The queen rolled her eyes, but kissed her husband nonetheless. "And that's what makes me so proud of you, Yero my king."

"I want to make you proud, Fae my queen."

Galinda also became more open around Fiyero. She was still a bit hesitant, but after talking with Elphaba and fully realizing that no one, especially Fiyero, was going to hurt her anymore, she had a conversation with the prince. At first, it had been very awkward, since she never spoke to the Wizard so casually, but Fiyero was eventually able to convince her that any friend of Elphaba's was a friend of his, and told her to call him 'Fiyero'.

"I still don't really feel like a king," Fiyero admitted to the blonde. "Maybe because every morning when I wake up, I still expect the Wizard to be here ruling Oz. That, and the fact that hearing people call me 'Your Majesty' makes me cringe. Sure, the Wizard taught me some important things, but not enough to just leave me on my own. And the same goes for Elphaba. They're still investigating who murdered him and why. I mean, sure he had people who disagreed with him in the palace, but I never heard of it getting so bad to the point where they want to kill him."

As Lurlinemas drew near, the temperature began to drop and snow began to fall. Elphaba's inner child always showed a bit when it began to snow. She enjoyed watching it from the window, especially with her husband and best friend.

A week before the big holiday, Galinda noticed Elphaba acting strange. She began sleeping more and ate less. At first, she thought she was sick and was about to call the doctor, when Elphaba simply shook her head.

"I don't think I need the doctor just yet," she said with a soft smile.

"Wh-What? El-phie, wh-why…"

Elphaba took her friend's hands with a giddy smile. "I'm pregnant."

Galinda blinked, then her face broke into a smile as she hugged her friend. "Con-gra-tul-ations!"

"Thank you," Elphaba smiled. "I'm a few weeks along. Fiyero and I have been trying for so long and now…" She stopped short and looked at her friend. "Are you… okay?"

"Of c-course," Galinda said, looking slightly confused. "Why…" It hit her 'why' and she quickly took her friend's hand. "I'm f-fine, El-phie. R-Really. I'm... h-hap-py f-for you."

Elphaba smiled again and the two friends hugged again and when they pulled away, Galinda gently placed her hand on Elphaba's stomach. Elphaba gave one of her rare laughs and placed her hand on top of Galinda.

"S-So h-happy f-for you," the blonde said, giving the green girl a non-forced, genuine smile.

* * *

 **No, the drama is not done. Sorry, but not really** ** _that_** **sorry.**


	16. A Visitor

**Sorry this chapter is late everyone! I had a long day yesterday and was too tired to finish. But here we are!**

 **NellytheActress: I always felt like the "Wizard" was a title for "king", but the original job description is king. So, Wizard is just a title that they gave to this specific king. Fiyero and Elphaba might get one later on.**

 **woodland59: The drama shall end when I am ready for it to end! *Cackles as lightning flashes behind her***

 **TheDoctorPieMaker: I was honestly considering doing that, but it just didn't work out. And thanks for reviewing!**

 **RavenCurls: Sadly, I cannot see emojis in review *Pout* But you can tweet them to me.**

* * *

Lurlinemas came and went. Elphaba's stomach slowly grew and a small baby bump was becoming visible. It was obvious that both the parents-to-be were very excited. Fiyero was extra attentive and made sure Elphaba had everything she needed. He was there for her when she awoke in the middle of the night and threw up whatever they had for dinner the night before. He would hold back her hair and rub circles on her back, knowing there wasn't much he could do about it, but he was still going to try, anyway. He would make sure to always have a glass of ginger water on hand for Elphaba after she had thrown up.

The wedding anniversary of the king and queen was very quiet. There was a small feast for only close family and friends. Fiyero knew Elphaba wanted something small so people wouldn't begin speculating about whether or not she was pregnant.

It was March when the couple decided to finally announce it to the public. Everyone immediately became excited about the new addition to the royal family. Of course there were some comments about the Wizard never being able to meet his grandchild, and vise versa, but Elphaba didn't pay it much attention. She was now four months pregnant and beginning to show, so there was no more use of trying to hide it now.

Galinda was also very supportive of her friend. She made sure the green girl had everything she needed, especially when Fiyero was busy in a meeting. The two friends were closer than ever. They took walks through the garden again and had picnics together. Elphaba would often ask Galinda is she was really feeling okay. The green girl could sense that Galinda wasn't completely emotionally healed from terminating her pregnancy. Of course, Galinda didn't think she would ever be completely emotionally healed, but she was much better. She kept insisting that she was fine and that she wasn't as bad as she was months before. After much debating, Elphaba believed the blonde and settled down.

It was now mid-April, the rainiest month of the year. Everyone mostly stayed in doors. Elphaba and Fiyero spent most of their time together, which the blonde had no problem with, for she passed her time by reading books in the library. She had found a little hidden corner that no one, not even Elphaba, knew that she had claimed as her own. She often found sanctuary there, even when she was Elphaba's maid, and used her free time to absorb as much information as she could. She had always loved to read, but the orphanage didn't have many books, and the books they did have were old and falling apart, with pages either ripped or missing.

She had been reading in the library when Harv came looking for her. "Miss Galinda! Miss Galinda!" he called. "Miss Galinda, are you in here?"

The blonde peaked her head up from her hiding spot and the steward sighed. "You are requested by Their Majesties in the throne room."

Galinda nodded and, marking her page, followed the steward out and into the throne room. Elphaba and Fiyero were sitting on their thrones, and a man was kneeling in front to them. Both monarchs looked up as the blonde approached and the man turned around, a look of surprise on his face. He blinked, then slowly rose to his feet.

"Come, Galinda," Fiyero said, motioning for Galinda to come forward.

Galinda slowly approached, not knowing who the strange man was and why he was looking at her, and apparently… looked a lot like her.

"There's… um…" Elphaba began, obviously not knowing how to explain the situation herself.

"This man," Fiyero took over, "he… um… wow, this is awkward."

"My," the man spoke. His voice was soft and kind, almost like how a father would speak to his child. "You've grown so much since I last saw you."

Galinda took a step back. A rush of unwanted feelings overcame her and she felt like bolting from the room.

"Oh, you must think me completely brazen. My name is Tolymon. Tolymon Upland."

The blonde blinked. That was her last name, too. Could that mean…?

"Your father was my brother. I am your uncle. You probably don't remember me because the last time I saw you, you were a little girl."

Galinda took in her uncle. She couldn't remember much about what her father looked like, but this man did share looks she saw in herself; the hair, eyes, and nose. She did feel like she had seen him before, but she couldn't fully remember.

"Do you remember this?" the man asked as he pulled something out of his bag.

Galinda gasped at the small, glass ball. Something in the back of her mind clicked, but she still couldn't remember most of it. All she remembered was that she had a special memory connected to that glass ball. Her uncle handed it to her and she gently took it in her hands, gazing into it.

"We'll leave you to it," Elphaba said.

Fiyero looked like he wanted to stay and watch the reunion, but the look Elphaba gave him pulled him up from his throne. The couple left, looking over their shoulders at the family before retiring to the parlor.

"I… r-remember…" Galinda whispered, running her fingers over the ball.

"You would gaze into that ball, as if you saw another world we couldn't see. It was your favorite thing in the world," Tolymon said.

 _"Careful, Glinny!" Highmuster Upland said as he lifted his daughter away from the ink well she was currently trying to reach._

 _"Maybe this will entertain her," his wife,_ _Laurena_ , _said, handing her daughter a conch shell. "You can hear the ocean with this, Glinny."_

 _The two-year-old blinked at the shell as she took it from her mother. She tried to put it in her mouth, and was promptly stopped by her father. Frowning, she dropped the shell to the floor and waddled away for something more interesting._

 _"Maybe this will interest her," Tolymon said as he pulled out a glass orb._

 _"That's made of glass. She'll drop it and it will shatter," Highmuster frowned._

 _"This is special glass. It will take a lot more than a child dropping or throwing it to make it break," Tolymon said as he handed it to the little girl._

 _Galinda looked at the glass ball in her hands. She smiled, enjoying watching her reflection do exactly what she did. She sat on the floor and continued to play with the ball._

 _The adults smiled as they watched the little blonde enjoying her new toy. "I think she likes it," Laurena smiled._

 _"That should keep her busy for a while," Tolymon said, winking at his brother._

 _They turned back and watched Galinda stare into the orb. "It's like she sees another world," Highmuster commented, chuckling to himself._

The memory hit Galinda like a brick and she blinked it away. Her parents. She remembered something about her parents. Maybe it was because of the orb…

"How did you end up here?" Tolymon asked, gently interrupting her thoughts.

Galinda proceeded to tell her uncle her life story, from what happened directly after the accident (which included the story about her injury), her life in the orphanage, to her life as Elphaba's maid, to her promotion, up until the present. She excluded the part about Avaric, not feeling like reliving that part. "H-How did you… f-find me?" she asked when she finished.

"When I heard about the carriage accident, I had heard that my brother, his wife, and their child had all died. I was away in the Quadling Country, so I couldn't make it to the funeral. I had thought all this time that all three of you were dead. I was in the Vinkus when I heard the news that a girl working in the palace was going to be hung for what they called "high treachery". I asked if they knew her name and they said 'Galinda Upland'. The name rung a bell and I realized that you were my niece." Tolymon licked his lips and sighed. "I couldn't just pack up and leave so quickly, so I sent one of my friends to see if the story was true. They came and told me that you were spared and I came as quickly as my business would allow. I won't ask you to tell me about that, because it obviously worked itself out to your favor."

Galinda looked up from the ball at her uncle. If only she had known she still had family left. She could have had a family. But then, she wouldn't have met Elphaba.

"The reason I came here is to invite you to come back to the Gillikin with me. I own a small silk trading business. I'm not very rich, but I would be able to support and take care of you. And I see that you have found yourself a home here," he said, noticing Galinda's fancy dress.

The blonde blushed. "I h-have."

Tolymon smiled. "I'm just glad you're alive. I thought I had lost everything of my brother that night. Though I respect your decision, I do not wish to lose contact with you." He took out a piece of paper and a pen. "I have no wife or children. I have no other family who will inherit everything after I'm gone, which I hope won't be for a while yet." He chuckled and Galinda offered him a small smile. "Here is my address. I wish for you to write to me and keep in touch. I've missed all these years, and I'm deeply sorry about that. I know we can't start over, but I do want to be family again."

Galinda took the paper and considered his words. She couldn't remember what it was like to have a family. She had seen families from the orphanage window, or when she went out on an errand. They always looked happy. Children would laugh and play, or cry when something didn't go their way. It seemed wonderful. And now, she would have her chance at that. "I will."

Her uncle beamed and wrapped her in a gentle hug. At first, Galinda stiffened, but it didn't take very long for her to feel the warmth love from him and gently hugged him back. It felt good to share a hug like that.

"Well, I will take my leave now. But remember Galinda, you are always welcome to visit anytime you wish," Tolymon said, gently squeezing his niece's hand.

"I w-will… Un-cle."

Tolymon smiled. "And I can also send you your parents' old belongings. I had saved them, not having the heart to throw them or give them away. They are yours if you want them."

Galinda nodded. "I do w-want th-them."

The older Upland nodded and, wiping a tear from his eye, left. Galinda watched him go, feeling a whole bunch of emotions at once; happiness, relief, confusion… but the one feeling she felt the most was the feeling of acceptance. She looked at the glass orb and smiled. She had a family again.

Later that evening, she told Elphaba about everything that happened. Of course, Elphaba was more than thrilled that the blonde had finally found her family.

"I'm so happy for you, Galinda, but why didn't you want to go back to the Gillikin with your uncle? You've always wanted to feel like you have a family, and now you have one," Elphaba said as they sat on the blonde's bed together.

"I d-do h-have one," Galinda smiled. "But it's h-here. With y-you."

Elphaba blushed. "To be honest, I've always felt like I never had a family. Sure, I had my father, but I would barely see him, except for dinner once in a while. I would spend most of my time with my governess, and though I loved her, I never considered her 'family'. I never really felt like I was part of a family until you and Fiyero… or, well… until I started _liking_ you and Fiyero." The girls shared a good laugh. "And now, I guess I'll have even more of a family," the princess said, gently rubbing her baby bump. "It feels good knowing that you belong to a family."

"Y-Yes, it… does," Galinda smiled as the girls shared a hug.

* * *

 **I'm going to my SENIOR PROM tomorrow! And I hope you all enjoyed this chapter of no-drama.**


	17. A Last Scream

**Hi, everyone! Sorry this chapter is a day late again! But prom was super fun!**

 **Rose (Guest): I am personally very proud of myself for coming up with that!**

 **I also love how none one trusts Tolymon. I completely understand, but I promise that we can trust him.**

 **WARNING: The end of this chapter is very sad and emotional. I felt myself tearing up while I was writing this. It isn't so much of a cliffy as it is just plain sad.**

* * *

One week later, three packages arrived at the palace for Galinda. Servants had brought it up to her bedroom, where the blonde and the queen were reading. They immediately abandoned their books and worked on unpacking the packages. Each one was from Galinda's uncle and contained her parent's belongings. It was mostly clothes and books, but Galinda also found some of her old dolls and clothing.

"For a g-girl," Galinda smiled as she held up a tiny, pink dress for a baby.

Elphaba smiled and took the dress. "I like it. It's very pink, though."

"All of… it is," Galinda said as she went through the rest of her clothing, most of which was, indeed, pink.

Galinda was looking through the last box when she froze. This didn't go unnoticed by Elphaba, who slowly approaching the blonde and looked over her shoulder. Galinda was looking down at something in the box, refusing to pick it up with her hands.

"Galinda?" Elphaba asked. "What is it?"

As if in a trance, Galinda reached into the box and pulled out a framed black and white photograph. It was of a young man and woman, probably no older than twenty-five. Nestled in the arms of woman was a smiling baby. Galinda looked at the woman and realized that it was her mother. The man was her father. She was the baby. She traced over her mother's face, seeing the woman who had given birth to her for the first time in over fifteen years. She was sitting down in an armchair, her hair curled and framing her face. Her skin was blemish-less and a soft smile was painted on her lips. The man stood next to her, one hand resting on her shoulder. He was well built, with a bit of a belly, and soft facial features. He was also softly smiling at the camera. A single tear escaped from Galinda's eye and landed on the frame. Another one followed and she felt the photo being taken from her before Elphaba wrapped her arms around her.

"It's okay," the queen whispered to her best friend. "It's okay."

Galinda clung to her and quietly cried against her shoulder. She sniffled a few times, then pulled away and reached for the picture. Elphaba gently handed it to her and watched as the blonde took in her parent's features.

"You look a lot like her," Elphaba said, also looking at the photo. "Your mother. And your father. But you have your mother's curly hair and eyes."

Galinda didn't seem to hear her; she was still looking at the photo. Very faint memories of her with her parents were beginning to return to her, but they would always come in bits and pieces and be very fuzzy, which frustrated the blonde. She looked at the photo and touched the baby's face and was hit with a sudden memory.

 _Blood._

 _All she remembered was blood. And screaming. Lots of screaming. Then silence. She had turned her head and saw the limp bodies of her parents. Her father was completely motionless, killed by the impact, but her mother was still clinging to the last bit of life left within her. She was moving around a bit, trying to get to her husband._

 _"Mama," Galinda whispered, grabbing her mother's attention._

 _The older woman slowly turned and looked at her daughter. "Galinda," she whispered. They reached towards each other and grasped hands. Galinda's mother let out a content sigh before her face contorted in pain. She grunted and curled into a fetal position before she relaxed, her last breath escaping her lips. The little girl looked horrified as she looked at the dead bodies of her parents. There was a loud noise and something hit the back of her head, knocking her out._

Galinda screamed as she dropped the photo. She ran into a corner, Elphaba at her heels. The memory had been so vivid. She felt the physical pain. She felt the air leaving her parent's lungs. She smelt the stench of death in the air. Everything felt so real.

Elphaba took the blonde's hand, trying to calm her down, but Galinda's was frantic. "Galinda!" she exclaimed, trying to get a hold of the blonde before she hurt herself. "It's alright. You're here. You're safe. It wasn't real."

Galinda tore away from her friend and fell to the ground, her breaths rigid and labored. Elphaba slowly knelt next to her and pulled her against her. At first, Galinda fought to get away, but slowly calmed down when Elphaba began singing a soft melody her governess used to sing to her. Eventually, Galinda was calm enough to register where she was. She looked around and then her gaze rested on Elphaba.

"V-Vi-vid… was… v-vi-vid," she whispered.

Elphaba wiped her hair away from her face. "I know. It's okay now. You're safe."

"D-Death… b-blood every-where…"

"I know," Elphaba said soothingly.

"… M-Mama…"

Elphaba allowed the petite blonde to lean against her shoulder as she gently rocked her and rubbed her back. Galinda simply allowed herself to be held. She didn't move or speak for the longest time, and Elphaba was almost certain that she had fallen asleep. But when she looked down, the blonde was wide-awake. Once she was sure she would be stable enough to stand, Elphaba helped her to her feet and walked her to the bed.

"Would you like me to stay with you?" Elphaba asked, gently taking Galinda's hands in her own.

Galinda looked down slightly, then at their joint hands. She nodded slowly and made a noise in the back of her throat. Elphaba smiled slightly and moved into a position to brush the blonde's hair. She grabbed the hairbrush from the nightstand and began to run it through Galinda's hair. "Galinda?"

"Hmm?"

"I just want you to know that if this becomes too much for you –the… um… flashbacks, I mean– I want you to know that you can always come to me and tell me. You're my best friend and I want to make sure you're okay."

Galinda's lips twitched, but she didn't smile. "O-Okay."

* * *

"Fae, I won't go if you don't want me to."

"Yero, I'll be fine."

"You're due any day now."

"I'm not due for another few days. You'll be back by then."

"The book said that you could go into labor soon. Technically speaking, you could be going into labor right now."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I'm not going into labor right now, Fiyero. And you'll be back in _three_ _days_."

"What if you start right after I leave?"

"Go finish packing up."

"Fae, I can't leave you."

"You can't miss this meeting. It's very important. All the countries on this side of the Nonestic Ocean are gathering in Ix for this summit. You have to go."

"I'm sure they would understand if it was getting closer to the birth of our first child."

Elphaba sighed. She didn't like arguing with her husband, but sometimes, he made it so easy by being so stubborn. "Yero, please go to the meeting. I'll be fine."

Fiyero recognized the tone in his wife's voice that meant the end of the argument. Begrudgingly, he went to finish packing and met Elphaba in the foyer. He placed down his bag and leveled his face with his wife's large stomach. "I'll be back in a few days, little one."

He got a very light kick in response and smiled sadly. "Daddy loves you." He rose to his feet and pulled Elphaba into a hug, which was hard considering their unborn child had to make it a point that it was still there.

"I'll miss you," Elphaba said when they pulled away and he kissed her nose.

"Make sure nothing interesting happens without me."

Elphaba rolled her eyes and playfully pushed her husband towards the door. She watched as he walked out and climbed into the carriage. They both waved to each other until the carriage was out of sight. Elphaba stayed outside in the warm, September air for a moment longer before waddling back inside. She sat down in the parlor and rang the maid to bring her some lemonade. The young girl curtsied and went to fill the queen's request.

"Have you seen Galinda?" Elphaba asked when she returned with the drink.

"I believe she's in her room, Your Majesty. Shall I get her for you?"

"Please," Elphaba nodded, taking a sip.

The maid curtsied and hurried up the stairs. A moment later, Elphaba heard footsteps and turned around, seeing Galinda approaching her.

"Hi," Galinda said as she sat down next to her friend. "You… al-right?"

"I'm fine. Fiyero just left. Although I wouldn't be surprised if the carriage drove away without him and he's still here to trick me," Elphaba chuckled, then gasped and spilt her drink all over Galinda. "Kick. Sorry," she said as she moved to help the blonde.

"It's… okay," Galinda said as she gently patted her friend's hand and hurried away to change her dress. When she returned, Elphaba was laying down on the couch fast asleep. Galinda smiled to herself and sat down in one of the armchairs, taking a book from the coffee table and opening to a random page.

Three days later, the day Fiyero was supposed to return, Elphaba woke up in the middle of the night when she felt the bed wet. She realized what was happening and rang for a maid.

"Get Galinda please," she said when the maid came in, trying to hide her yawn.

She left and a few minutes later, Galinda hurried in, almost tripping over her own feet. "El… El-phie…"

"I'm sorry," Elphaba whispered as her friend tiredly collapsed on Fiyero's side of the bed, a soft moan escaping her lips. "I think… I think my water broke."

Galinda blinked her eyes open and pushed herself up. "Really?" she asked softly, almost worried.

Elphaba nodded, taking a deep breath.

"You'll b-be… o-kay," the blonde said soothingly, rubbing her friend's arm, biting back a yawn.

"Th-Thanks. At… At least Fiyero is coming back today. He should be here before the baby comes."

Galinda smiled. "He… will b-be."

Elphaba forced a small smile. "I'm sorry I woke you up. You can go back to bed now. I'll be fine for now."

"I'm st-stay-ing… w-with you," Galinda said, shaking her head.

"But, Galinda…"

"You d-did it… f-for me."

"Well, yes, but…"

"Now I'm… d-doing it f-for… you."

Even though Elphaba was about to protest, Galinda didn't miss the slight relief in Elphaba's eyes that her friend would do that for her. "Okay," she whispered, beginning to go back to sleep. "Thank you."

Galinda made a noise in the back of her throat and flopped back against the pillows.

For the whole day, Elphaba experienced contractions. At first, they were just tightening feelings far apart, but as evening fell, they began to grow stronger and closer together.

"It's almost time," the midwife said when Elphaba experienced a very strong contraction.

"Where's… F-Fiyero?" Elphaba asked, blinking to stay awake.

"I don't know, Your Majesty. I believe he might be running late," the midwife said gently.

"He'll… miss…"

"Just chew on this," the midwife said, offering Elphaba some ice cubes.

Elphaba didn't know what chewing on ice would do, but she did it anyway. In all honesty, it did absolutely nothing to help her, not even as a distraction from the pain. All it did was make her mouth cold. Though, she added as an afterthought, she did feel a bit more hydrated.

"Alright, Your Majesty, it's almost time," the midwife said. "Begin pushing on the next contraction."

Elphaba turned and looked at Galinda, who was standing next to her, holding her hand. "Y-You don't have to stay if you don't want to. You've barely eaten anything all day. Aren't you hungry?"

"I… c-can wa-it," Galinda said gently, stroking the back of Elphaba's hand.

"I don't want you not to eat just because –" Elphaba was cut off but the contraction that cued her to begin pushing.

"Push, Your Majesty!" the midwife called from the foot of the bed.

Elphaba pushed with all her strength. Galinda was next to her the whole time, squeezing her hand and wiping the sweat from her forehead. She offered her more ice cubes, but Elphaba would subconsciously slap them out of her hand.

"You're crowning! Keep pushing!" the midwife said.

Elphaba whimpered and squeezed the blonde's hand, almost as if she was trying to break the blonde's fingers. Galinda tried to not focus on her own pain and instead, focus on Elphaba. She moved the pillow so she would be more comfortable. She continued to wipe the sweat away. She tried to encourage her, although she couldn't even hear herself over Elphaba's screams. Finally, after what seamed like forever, the baby was born and Elphaba collapsed against the pillows in exhaustion. She took deep breaths as she waited for the first cry of her child. She waited and waited, but it didn't come. She opened her eyes and struggled to sit up, but Galinda pushed her back down.

"El-Elphie, st-stay d-down," Galinda said.

"No! The baby! It's not crying! Why isn't it crying!?" Elphaba asked as she struggled against Galinda's hold.

No one said anything for the longest time and Elphaba stopped suddenly. "No…"

"Your Majesty…" the midwife said softly.

"It's not crying! Why isn't my baby crying?!"

"Your Majesty…" the midwife tried again, approaching the queen.

"MAKE IT CRY!"

"I'm so sorry, Your Majesty…"

"No!"

"El-phie…" Galinda whispered.

"But… the baby… it… the baby didn't make it," the midwife said, her voice crowing softer with every word.

Time seemed to stop for Elphaba. Her baby had died. It had died before she even got the chance to hold it in her arms. It had died before she knew its gender.

Galinda gently let go of the queen's hand and walked over to where the baby laid. It was a girl. She looked like a perfectly normal newborn, except for the fact that her chest wasn't moving. She gently placed her hand over her little heart and felt nothing. Not even a vibration.

Elphaba let out a heart-wrenching sob and Galinda hurried back to her, immediately wrapping her in a hug. Tears filled her own eyes, and she didn't even bother trying to wipe them away. She couldn't even think of anything to say to Elphaba. She knew nothing she said would make it better.

"El-phie…" Galinda said softly.

Elphaba's sobs were too loud and hysterical for Galinda to be heard. The midwife backed into the corner, not wanting to leave, but also not wanting to stay.

"NO!" Elphaba screamed through her hysterics. "NO! MAKE IT BREATHE! MAKE IT BREATHE!"

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but there's nothing more I can do," the midwife said softly.

"DO AS I SAY AND MAKE MY BABY BREATHE!" Magic began to swirl around Elphaba's fingertips and Galinda backed away, staring at her hands.

Tears were now in the midwife's eyes. "I… can't."

Growling, Elphaba aimed a blast of magic at her. The midwife ducked right in time and it hit the wall behind her. She looked back at the queen before backing into the darkness of the corner.

Galinda stood off to the side, waiting for the magic to die down. Elphaba dug her fingers into the bloody sheets and she sobbed her heart out. She was so close to becoming a mother and now it was all gone. After sobbing for close to an hour, Elphaba finally managed to calm down. She looked over at Galinda, who was still standing next to her. The blonde immediately came over to her and pulled her into a hug. Elphaba hung limp in her arms, not wanting to be toughed, but at the same time, craving the contact. Her breathing hitched a few times before she calmed down and focused on her friend.

"Ga-Galinda?"

"Yes, El-phie?"

"My baby isn't dead, is it?"

Elphaba's voice sounded so soft and fragile that Galinda wanted to tell her that her baby wasn't dead. That it was just sleeping. That everything was going to be okay. That she would wake up from this nightmare and find out that she is the mother of a happy, healthy baby girl. But she couldn't. She couldn't do it. "I'm s-sorry, El-phie. S-So s-sorry."

Elphaba was silent for a moment. "What was it?"

"A g-girl."

Elphaba let out a soft noise. A daughter. She was going to be the mother of a little girl. She and Fiyero would have had a little princess. A fresh wave of sobs overcame her and this time, she ended up crying herself to sleep.

The blonde sat with her friend, ignoring the fact that she was exhausted herself, until she heard the sound of the carriage returning. She looked down at her slumbering friend before rising to her feet, making her way down towards the expecting-father-to-be who would never see his child.


	18. A Step Forward

**Thank you all so much for your reviews so far. We are nearing the end of the story, so no more big drama. I don't think our characters can handle any more. Aren't I good? So... I don't think we need the Nia Hunters anymore... right?**

* * *

Fiyero yawned as he tiredly walked up the stairs leading to the large double front doors. All he wanted to do was climb into bed next to his beautiful wife and hold her in his arms. This was the longest time he went without seeing each other and in all honesty, he didn't want to do it again if he could help it. He just hoped he hadn't missed the birth of their first child.

When he walked in, he went straight to the stairs, but stopped when he noticed a light in the parlor. He walked inside and saw Galinda sitting up with a cup of tea. "Galinda?"

The blonde turned and looked the king in the eyes.

"You look exhausted. Are you alright?"

Galinda nodded.

"Is Fae?"

Galinda bit her lip and looked at her teacup.

"Did she have the baby? I missed it, didn't I?"

"Yes."

Fiyero could sense that something was wrong. "Galinda, what happened?"

The blonde looked up. She had to tell him. It wasn't really her news to tell, but he was going to find out eventually, so she might as well been the one to tell him. "El-Elphie h-had the… ba-by."

"Is she alright?"

"No, sh-she's not. The ba-by…" She stopped. A lump formed in her throat and she couldn't get the words out.

Fiyero was very close to becoming frantic. "Galinda, tell me! What happened?"

"The ba-by… d-didn't ma-ke it."

The king's eyes widened. "Are you saying… Fae had the baby still born?"

"Yes." Galinda nodded sadly.

"You were with her?"

"Th-This wh-ole time. C-Came… d-down when you c-came."

Fiyero inhaled sharply. His poor Fae. She just be beyond heartbroken. He moved to go up the stairs but stopped. He approached the blonde and offered her his hand. "Come on. You need some rest."

Galinda looked up at him and offered him a watery smile before taking his hand and allowing him to help her to her feet. She stiffened when she felt him wrap an arm around her, even though she knew he wasn't going to try anything. She still had a bit of trouble trusting him, which Fiyero completely understood. He escorted her back to her room and watched as she immediately headed to her bed without even bothering to put on her nightgown. He smiled slightly at the sight of the blonde laying on top of the covers and gently helped her under the sheets. "Thank you," he whispered sincerely.

Galinda's subconsciously wiggled her nose, a sign Fiyero took as she had heard him, and hurried away to his Fae. When he found her, she was asleep, but he could tell it wasn't an easy rest. She looked like she had cried herself to sleep. She looked pale and weak and distraught. He quickly changed into his pajamas and slowly climbed into the bed next to her.

Elphaba slowly opened her eyes and saw her husband, who quickly pulled her into hug as a fresh wave of sobs overcame her.

"I'm so sorry, Fae," he whispered, hugging her close.

Elphaba made a noise and buried her face in his chest. Tears quickly sprang to Fiyero's eyes and he sobbed along with his wife. They were so close. He knew nothing would be able to heal Elphaba from this. He was there when she had to drink that potion to help them conceive. He knew how much Elphaba wanted this baby. And he wanted it, too. They both wanted it more than anything in the world.

"I'm here, Fae," the king whispered when he heard his wife quiet down.

The queen blinked up at her husband. She opened her mouth to say something, but only a soft whimper came out.

"I know," Fiyero whispered softly, stroking her hair.

"She's gone," Elphaba finally managed to whisper, her voice sounding hoarse.

 _She_ , Fiyero thought. _It was a girl. We would have had a daughter._

"I know you're tired, Fae. Just rest. I'm right here." He could tell that Elphaba was forcing her eyelids to remain open. "Just rest, Fae."

"I… can't," Elphaba whispered. "We should be holding our newborn daughter in our arms, Yero. We should be parents right now."

Fiyero didn't know what to say, so he simply rocked her in his arms. After a few moments, he was successful in getting her to fall asleep. She looked a bit calmer than when he first saw her, but he could tell that she might wake up a few more times from uneasiness.

Sure enough, before the sun rose, Elphaba had woken up four more times. Fiyero had barely gotten a wink of sleep himself. His mind wouldn't shut off. He should have been there with her. He should have been there to support her, to get her through this. And even if this didn't happen, he still should have been there for the birth of his first child. He should have been there to wipe the sweat from her brow and hold her hand, telling her that everything was going to be alright and that they would be able to meet their child soon. But now, that was a distant dream.

Finally, when Elphaba awoke for the final time, Fiyero was wide awake, holding her in his arms. She slowly turned and looked up at him.

"Good morning," Fiyero said softly, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Morning," the green girl whispered, snuggling closer to him. "Yero?"

"Hmm?"

"Did last night really happen?"

Fiyero wanted, with all his heart, to tell his wife that she had just have a bad dream. That he would say that their daughter was sleeping peacefully in the basinet next to their bed. "I'm sorry, Fae."

Much to his surprise, Elphaba didn't cry. She simply looked at him and gently placed her hand against her abdomen. "Oh."

"Fae, if you haven't let it all out…"

"I'm done crying," Elphaba said, shaking her head. "I don't have enough energy anymore."

The couple was silent for a moment. "Fae?"

"Hmm?"

"What would we have named her?"

Elphaba looked surprised. "What?"

"What would we have named our daughter?"

"I… we did have some nice names picked out," Elphaba said.

Fiyero reached over onto his dresser and grabbed a notepad. Flipping it open, he turned to the page with the girl names they had chosen. They scanned through the list. "Amilitta," Elphaba said softly when her eyes found the name. "I… I only caught a quick glimpse of her, but she looked like an Amilitta."

Fiyero smiled. "I liked that name."

"Galinda would have probably nicknamed her Amie," Elphaba smiled, then sobered. "Is she alright? Galinda, I mean."

"She's fine, Fae. I made sure she got back to her room and went to sleep. She's more worried about you."

Elphaba lowered her gaze.

"Hey," Fiyero said, gently cupping her chin and lifting her gaze to meet his. "Don't worry. Galinda will be fine. You need some time to recover. Would you like some breakfast?"

Elphaba shook her head, but when Fiyero rang for the breakfast and a maid brought it up, she ended up eating a little something. It was only a few bites of a muffin and taking a bite of his eggs before spreading the rest around the plate.

The king canceled his meetings for the day, claiming that he was taking an important day off. Elphaba tried to protest, but Fiyero wouldn't hear any of it. "They'll survive for a day without me hovering over them. And I want to spend some time with you."

Elphaba knew the real reason behind that, but didn't argue any further. They stayed in bed for a while longer before Elphaba said that she wanted to get washed up. Fiyero watched as she slowly got out of bed, wincing slightly as she rose to her full height. He moved to help her, but Elphaba held up her hand to stop him. She slowly slid one foot in front of the other and was halfway to the door when she collapsed to the floor.

"Fae!" Fiyero exclaimed as he shot out of bed and ran to her side, kneeling down next to her and holding her in his arms.

Elphaba gently twisted out of her husband's arms and tried to push herself up. Fiyero helped her to her feet and wrapped his arm around her waist. She gave him a small smile and they both walked out of the room together.

Fiyero waited outside the door while Elphaba freshened up. He winced a few times when he heard the sound of Elphaba's limbs bumping against something, and the soft "I'm alright" she gave didn't do much to quell his worrying. After a while, she came out wearing a bathrobe. She looked slightly better. She certainly looked much less pale.

"Do you feel a little bit better?" Fiyero asked, taking his wife's hand.

"I guess," Elphaba said softly.

Fiyero kissed her forehead and led her back to their room. At noon, a maid brought up lunch and Fiyero got Elphaba to eat a bit more. They chatted for a bit, though Elphaba mostly napped for the rest of the day, while Fiyero watched her. He also tried to nap, but every time Elphaba moved, he woke up. He finally gave up on napping and looked out the window, stroking Elphaba's cheek when she mumbled something in her sleep and whispered words of comfort to her.

The next day, Elphaba had insisted that Fiyero get back to work. He, of course, didn't want to and protested against it.

"Yero, I'll be fine," Elphaba said as she tried to push him out of the room. "You have a lot of work to catch up on."

"Fae, I don't want to leave you by yourself all day. Especially after what happened."

"I can handle a day to myself. I promise."

Fiyero didn't look happy, and understandably so, but he agreed nonetheless. "I'll have Galinda check up on you later."

"No, let her rest. She needs it, too."

"I'm not leaving you alone all day without someone checking up on you."

"I'm not a child, Yero. I can handle being by myself."

"Fae," he said, gently taking her hands. "You've been through a lot. I know you think that you can handle being by yourself."

"I'll be fine!"

The king inhaled slowly. "Fae…" He looked at Elphaba's hard glare and sighed. "Alright. You win."

The green woman softened as he kissed her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Fiyero said. He looked like he wanted to say more, but stopped himself and walked out of the bedroom, leaving Elphaba alone.

While Elphaba was a bit grateful for the peace and quiet, she also missed the company of another person. She knew she couldn't get Fiyero, or else she would prove him right, so instead, she went in search of her best friend. She found her in her room, sitting on her bed, writing something in a journal.

The blonde looked up when she heard the knock and smiled softly at the sight of the queen. "Hi, El-phie."

"Hi," Elphaba said softly, walking into the room. "Are you busy?"

Galinda shook her head and motioned for her friend to sit next to her. "H-How are y-you… f-feel-ing?"

"Better. I… I never did thank you for staying. Fiyero said he got back early in the morning and you were still awake. He said that you had stayed with me while waiting for him. So… thank you."

"Y-You're… wel-come, El-phie."

The two friends sat in a comfortable silence, which evolved into light conversation, which evolved into hair braiding, which evolved into the feeling of old times.

When Fiyero had a break for lunch, he went in search of his wife. When he didn't see her in their room, he started to panic, until he heard voices coming from Galinda's room. He found the two friends there, talking on Galinda's bed. Neither of them took notice of him, and Fiyero simply watched from the door. Elphaba subconsciously placed her hand against her abdomen, then sobered when she realized nothing was there, and Galinda gently placed a hand on her shoulder. It was a gesture that made Fiyero guess that it wasn't the first time it happened since the two friends got together. Still, it was a step forward, and he knew many more were to come, however slowly.

* * *

 **Only a few more chapters to go! And I have my last day of classes tomorrow!**


	19. A Starting Point

**Wow. This chapter is SUPER late! My apologize! Last minute senior things have taken up a lot of my time.**

 **TimberPaws: That would make this a lot sadder!**

 **PocketSevens: No, it's not wrong. It's coming soon.**

 **Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: I was honestly considering that, but that would be way too much drama. And the story is ending anyway.**

 **NellytheActress: I graduate this coming Friday.**

* * *

They say that time can heal all wounds. Well, at least it can heal a good majority of them.

It had taken months, but Elphaba slowly began to take apart the wall she had built around herself after the stillbirth. Even though she was talking to people, attending balls and dinners, and doing her duty as queen of Oz, Galinda could still notice the sad twinkle in her eyes.

The blonde still remained in correspondence with her uncle, and even visited him for a weekend. She began to have more memories of her parents, but all of them seamed to end in the carriage accident. But she now had enough happy memories to calm herself.

Fiyero had worked tirelessly to pass laws to improve the conditions in Oz, especially for women, orphans, and people living in poverty. He argued with people who didn't think anything needed to be changed, stayed up late hours to finish writing up bills, and often found himself falling asleep at his desk.

"Yero?" Elphaba whispered as she crept into her husband's study. She frowned softly when she saw him bent over his work, fast asleep. She slowly tiptoed over to him, bending over, hugged him from behind, nuzzling her nose against his neck.

Fiyero moaned softly and Elphaba kissed his ear.

"Yero, wake up, love."

The king slowly opened his eyes and pushed himself up, moaning as he rubbed his lower back. "Wh- What time is it?" he yawned.

"Late. Come on," Elphaba said, gently pulling him up and pulling him into a hug.

Fiyero hugged her back and nuzzled his nose in her hair. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. I'm fine. Are you?"

"My back hurts from sitting in that chair. I'll have to get a cushion for it."

The green girl laughed softly and led her husband out of the study and back up to their room. They climbed into bed and held each other in their arms.

"What?" Elphaba asked softly when she saw her husband staring at her.

"Nothing," Fiyero mumbled, flashing his wife a tired, boyish grin. "It's just… you're really pretty."

The queen blushed. Fiyero's boyish grin didn't leave his face as he kissed Elphaba's forehead. Elphaba looked up at him and kissed him back. Their kisses turned more passionate, but Elphaba pulled away.

"Fae?" Fiyero blinked.

"I… I'm sorry. Just… I'm not ready yet."

Fiyero pushed himself up against the headboard and pulled Elphaba into his arms. "It's alright, Fae. There's no rush."

"It happened months ago. I thought I was alright. But I guess I'm not," Elphaba said quietly.

"No one's expecting you to rush back into this. It's okay to still be hurting."

"But I want it."

"It?"

"Another baby. But I'm… not ready at the same time." Elphaba buried her face in her husband's shoulder. "It doesn't make any sense, I know. But –"

"It makes perfect sense, Fae. We can try again, but not right now. We'll start trying again whenever your ready, whether is takes three months or three years."

"You would wait that long for me?"

"For you, I would wait forever. I'm in no rush. I just want to make sure that you're alright."

"I'll be fine… well, I'll be more fine eventually. I just… I really want a baby."

"I do, too, Fae. I want us to be parents, too. But we can wait until you're ready."

Elphaba looked into her husband's eyes and smiled. "I love you, Yero."

"I love you, too, Fae."

* * *

The heat of June was beating down in the Emerald City, even though it was still relatively early in the morning. The king was currently in the throne room, continuing to work on passing new laws. He rubbed his tired eyes and yawned. The words seemed to float off the page every time he looked at it, but he knew he couldn't stop. He had to do this.

"Yero?" Elphaba asked when she walked into the throne room and saw her husband bent over the piece of paper. "Are you alright?"

"This bill isn't even halfway written," Fiyero moaned, rubbing circles on his temple.

"Why don't you take a break? We will have to get ready soon, anyway," Elphaba said.

"Get ready for what?"

Elphaba blinked. "The Summer Ball."

"That's tonight?"

"Yes, Yero."

"I thought it was tomorrow."

"Tomorrow's the _carnival_."

"Carnival?"

"Yes, carnival. Don't you remember?"

Fiyero moaned and leaned back in his chair. "I completely forgot."

"I'm sorry. You've been really busy lately. It's okay." Elphaba stepped over to him and pulled him into a hug.

"No, it's not. I'm supposed to remember these things."

"You are very busy. My father would forget things all the time. You have a lot on your plate."

"Speaking of plates, I'm hungry. When can we eat?"

Elphaba chuckled. "Well, if you get ready, we can go to the ball and eat there."

Fiyero smiled as he kissed his wife. "Okay."

"What are you working on?" the green girl asked as they walked out of the throne room.

"A law I've been trying to pass."

She rolled her eyes. "I know _that_. I meant what is it about?"

"It's the law that protects women against harassment, sexual and other types. It's the hardest one. I don't understand it. All the other ones passed fairly easily… well, at least easier than this one."

Elphaba smiled as she remembered all the laws her husband has passed. He had passed laws improving the conditions of orphanages all over Oz, laws that protected the poor people and helped them get back on their feet, and many other beneficial laws for the people of Oz. But for some reason, the law protecting women was harder to pass. "Don't worry, Yero. You'll get it passed."

"I know. I have to. There are probably many other women like Galinda out there who should have been protected. And some of them didn't have the same outcome as she did."

Elphaba smiled up at her husband. "You'll get it."

"I hope so."

"I know so."

When Elphaba got back to her room, Galinda was already there, ready to help her get ready. She helped her into her dark blue gown with long, lace sleeves and a full skirt. After curling her hair, she styled it in an elegant up-do with half her hair in a bun and the rest flowing down her back.

"Thank you, Galinda," Elphaba smiled when the blonde finished.

"You're wel-come, El-phie," the blonde smiled before hurrying to get herself ready.

"Are you ready, Fae?" Fiyero asked, coming into the room, wearing a very fancy green suit and a deep green sash.

"I think so," Elphaba said, staring at the crown, waiting to be put on her head.

The king stepped into the room and pulled his wife into a hug. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you. You look handsome," Elphaba said, though she didn't look at him. She maintained her gaze on the crown as if it was a foreign object she wasn't sure she wanted to touch.

Fiyero gently took the crown and turned to face her. "May I?"

"I don't think I would be able to do it myself," Elphaba said softly, but nodded.

The king gently placed the royal crown on his wife's head before placing his crown on his own head. "I like these 'his and her' matching crowns."

Elphaba let out a noise. "It still feels foreign to me."

"It's okay, Fae. You'll get used to it."

"I just hate wearing it. I happen to think I stand out enough as it is."

"It enhances your eyes."

"You're a sappy idiot."

"But I'm _your_ sappy idiot."

"That was so corny."

"But I'm _your_ corny –"

"Okay, stop."

"But I'm _y_ -"

Elphaba cut him off with a kiss, a technique she learned that effectively shut him up one hundred percent of the time.

"You love doing that, don't you?" Fiyero asked when they pulled away.

"You love it, too," Elphaba smirked.

"I won't complain."

Elphaba rolled her eyes and pulled her husband from the room. A flourish of trumpets announced their arrival and the walked into the ballroom, hand in hand, to a thundering applause. The green girl caught Galinda's eye and both girls exchanged a smile before Elphaba was swept up into conversation with the guests.

Galinda stayed by the punch bowl, shyly fixing her veil over her face. She saw someone approaching her out of the corner of her eye and stiffened slightly.

"We meet again," the stranger said.

Galinda turned and saw someone she hadn't seen in a while. Sir Joachim from the Vinkus. "H-Hi."

"It's been a while since we've seen each other. Galinda, isn't it?"

The blonde nodded.

Sir Joachim smiled. "Well, Galinda, would you do me the honor of accompanying me in a dance?"

Galinda hesitated, but a new dance started and she soon found herself taking his hand and allowing him to lead her onto the dance floor. _He's not Avaric_ , she had to repeat to herself in her head. _He's not going to hurt me. And if he tries, the king and queen are not far away. He's not going to hurt me… he's not going to hurt me… he's not going to hurt me…_

"How have you been? I believe the last time we met, it was the Lurlinemas Ball."

"It… w-was," Galinda said shyly. "I've b-been f-fine."

"That's very good to hear."

Something about Sir Joachim made Galinda relax. For some reason, she felt safe with him, even though she barely knew him. She felt safe with him, almost as safe as she felt with Elphaba. She looked into his hazel eyes and smiled slightly. He smiled back at Galinda felt her heart flutter.

 _No,_ she had to remind herself. _You mustn't put yourself through this again. You cannot. It's too dangerous. It's forbidden. It's…_

"You have very pretty eyes."

 _Wrong._

"Th-Thank you," Galinda blushed, looking down.

"I apologize. I understand the rules of those serving under the princ- queen. Forgive me if I was being too brazen."

"It's… al-right."

The dance ended and Galinda went back to the punch bowl. She placed her hands against the table, taking deep breaths.

"I think he's handsome."

Galinda jumped at the voice and turned to see Elphaba, smiling softly at her. "Wh-What?"

"Sir Joachim. He's very handsome. And I know you think so, too."

"I…"

"I think you like him."

"I… d-don't."

Elphaba took a step towards her friend. "I know you, Glin. I haven't seen you smile like that in a while. You should talk to him more."

"I… can't…" Galinda said, shyly playing with her veil.

The green woman smiled before gently removing the veil from the blonde's curls. "Now you can. Go talk to him," Elphaba said, smiling at her friend and giving her a gentle push in his direction.

Galinda looked at her, surprise and confusing written all over her face. "B-But…"

"Have fun tonight. You can tell me all about it tomorrow morning."

"But… n-noth-ing w-will n-never… h-happen betw-een us."

Elphaba smiled softly. "Then make the most of tonight so you can tell me about it tomorrow morning."

The blonde smiled at her friend and gave her a hug before going back over to Sir Joachim, who looked both surprised and happy to finally see the blonde's face when it wasn't abstracted by that veil.

The queen watched from a safe distance as the two talked and danced. She saw Galinda blush and giggle a few times, and Sir Joachim would smile and seem very interested in conversation with the blonde.

"They look really cute together," Fiyero smiled as he came up behind Elphaba.

"Too bad it won't last for her," Elphaba said sadly, more to herself than to her husband.

"Yeah," Fiyero said mysteriously. "Too bad… so sad…"

Elphaba turned. "Yero, did you do something?"

"Me? What makes you think I did something?"

"I know you."

Fiyero looked at the veil in Elphaba's hand and gently fingered it. "Let's just say that some changes are coming to Oz. They may not be as soon as I would like, but they are coming."

Elphaba grinned. "And that's why I love you."

"Why?"

"Because you're you."

It was Fiyero's turn to grin. "And I love you because you're you, too."

"Again with being the sappy idiot?"

"You started it!"

Elphaba simply smirked, and shifted her gaze back to her friend, who was sharing a slow dance with the lesser lord. "She really does deserve a bit of happiness. She needs her happy ending."

Fiyero followed her gaze and sighed contently. "And there's no reason why we can't give it to her."

* * *

 **Two more chapters, everyone! Any favorite lines?**


	20. A New Feeling

**Wow! This chapter is SUPER late! My deepest apologies!**

 **BillyJay936: LOL! Thank you for reviewing every chapter! And you'll find out everything soon.**

 **woodland59: I was hoping someone would recognize that little subtle Hamilton reference! Thanks!**

 **I would like to dedicate this chapter to one of my FFBFFs, Ultimate Queen of Cliffies. She needs some extra good vibes today, so let's send some her way! :-)**

* * *

"Fae."

"Mmm?"

"Fae, sweetie. Wake up."

"Mmhmm."

"Fae-Fae, wake up."

The emerald girl slowly opened her eyes to the goofy smile on her husband's face. She closed her eyes for a moment before yawning and pushing herself up.

"Good morning," Fiyero smiled, pulling Elphaba closer and kissing her nose.

"Morning," Elphaba mumbled, yawning against and leaning against her husband's shoulder. "What are you doing today?"

"The same as yesterday. I think I'm almost finished arguing with these old good-for-nothings who don't see the fact that things really need to change in Oz and –"

"I know, my love," Elphaba said softly, stroking his cheek.

"There's just so much to fix," Fiyero sighed. "Do you remember when I visited that orphanage in the outer city?"

"I remember practically having to pull you down the stairs and put you in the carriage like a small child," Elphaba said affectionately.

The king let out a humored breath. "Yes, well… anyway, I remember meeting the children there. Most of them weren't even six years old yet. And the orphanage itself wasn't in the best shape. I pretended not to notice at least three rats scurrying in the kitchen and in some of the larger rooms. The building was falling apart. And I couldn't help but think that Galinda had spent her entire life in a place like that."

"But you're going to fix it."

"They should have been fixed a long time ago." The king realized what he had said and looked apologetically at his wife. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"No, it's okay. You're right. They should have been fixed while my father was in charge. But Yero, this is your chance to make it right."

"I know," the king sighed, rubbing his face. "It's just…"

Elphaba kissed him again. "It's okay. I understand. It will all work out." She pushed herself up and yawned. "Come on. Let's get ready."

The royal couple quickly readied themselves for the day and walked downstairs to breakfast. Fiyero ate as quickly as he could without getting indigestion and Elphaba only finished half of what was on her plate after her husband gently encouraged her to.

"I guess I'm not that hungry," she said when Fiyero questioned her.

The prince didn't fully believe it, but let it slide so he could get on with his work. Elphaba met Galinda in her room and the two friends went down to the parlor to oversee everything for the carnival.

"It l-looks g-good," Galinda said once they were done reviewing everything.

"It will be very exciting. I'm sure everyone will love it," Elphaba said as she led the way into the gardens.

The two friends strolled through the flowers, idly chatting and occasionally picking a few flowers along the way. The made their way to a large cherry blossom tree and sat down in its shade, braiding flowers into each other's hair.

"Galinda?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever thought about…"

"Wh-What?"

Elphaba sighed. "Have you ever thought about… what your life would be like if things were… different?"

"D-Diff-erent? H-How so?"

Elphaba looked down slightly. "It's nothing. Forget I said anything."

"N-No, El-phie. Tell me."

"I was just thinking about… what if my father was still alive? What if I wasn't forced to marry Fiyero? What if…" She looked up at her friend. "What if Avaric didn't…" She didn't finish that sentence. "What if your parents hadn't died and you never came here?"

"Then I w-wouldn't h-have… m-met you."

"There are so many things that could be different."

"I know."

"Do you want things to change?"

Galinda thought for a moment. Despite everything, she was now enjoying her life. Sure, she would love to have her parents back and be able to speak clearly and not have been raped. But she had so many other good things now. She had Elphaba. She felt at home in the Emerald City Palace. She had a lot to be thankful and grateful for. "S-Some th-ings… b-but not every-thing."

The green girl nodded, knowing what the blonde had meant. Her mind wandered back to her husband. Was he finished? Did the law pass? Was he going to be ready to leave for the carnival that evening? She was so busy with her own thoughts that she didn't hear Galinda calling her name.

"Hmm?" she hummed when she snapped back to reality.

"Do you w-wish th-ings were d-diff-erent?"

Elphaba blinked. Did she? "Maybe in the beginning. I just wished I hadn't lost Amilitta. But other than that… I guess not. At least, not for me… personally." She did, however, wish things were different for Galinda and other young women like her.

Galinda smiled sadly and went back to picking at blades of grass, completely oblivious to Elphaba regarding her. To Elphaba, Galinda still didn't look older than a teenager, especially with the crown of flowers in her hair. She looked so young, so innocent, as if nothing of the corrupt, outside world had touched her. But Elphaba knew better. It had touched her and it had harmed her, and now, there was nothing she could do about it.

"So, I believe you owe me a story about Sir Joachim," the green girl said casually.

Galinda's head snapped up and she looked at her, an expression of pure shock on her face. "Wh…"

"What did you two talk about last night?"

"N-Nothing."

Elphaba smirked and scooted closer to the blonde. "Come on. I saw you smiling while you were with him. I haven't seen you smile like that in a long time."

Galinda blushed and looked down. "It w-was n-nothing."

"It must have been _something_. You shared three dances." After a few more prompting questions, Elphaba finally managed to get a few more short answers out of Galinda.

"He c-called me… p-pretty," the blonde blushed, her curls falling in front of her face.

"Really?" Elphaba asked, smiling as she gently urged the blonde to elaborate.

The blonde nodded. "H-He s-said he liked m-my dr-ess."

"You did look very beautiful in that dress."

"Th-ank you."

"What else did he say?"

The blonde slowly began to retell the story of the night, with Elphaba listening to every word she said. She didn't know how Elphaba would react to the whole situation, but Elphaba seemed more concerned with how she felt.

"And you felt alright when you were around him?" she asked when she had finished her story.

"Yes," Galinda nodded. "I know it s-sounds… wei-rd a-after every-thing, b-but I did."

Elphaba smiled. "I'm glad you do."

They spent a few more hours outside together before it was time to go back inside and get ready for the carnival. Galinda changed into a simple, pale blue dress with short sleeves, a long skirt, and a bow in the back. She slipped her feet into a pair of matching flats and went to meet Elphaba. She helped the green girl into a slightly more elaborate dark purple dress and brushed her hair. She moved to get Elphaba's crown and paused, looking back at the queen.

"It's alright," Elphaba sighed. "I'll wear it."

Galinda nodded and gently placed the crown into Elphaba's raven locks. "R-Ready?"

"I suppose so," Elphaba said, though she didn't get up or move.

"El-phie?"

"I'm sorry. It's just… every time I wear this thing… I can't help but think about how the last person to wear this… was my mother."

The blonde smiled softly and wrapped her arms around her friend. "It's ok-ay."

"I'm fine," Elphaba said, gently pulling out of the hug and rising to her feet. "Fiyero's probably waiting for us."

The two friends walked down to the foyer together, where the king was, indeed, waiting.  
"There you two are," he chuckled, meeting his wife at the bottom of the stairs and kissing her cheek. "The carriage is waiting." He gave Elphaba a wide smile that only the queen could interpret. Elphaba gave him an equally big smile and quickly wrapped her arms around him.

"Wow. Someone's excited for the _carnival_ ," Fiyero laughed, giving Elphaba a silent signal not to say anything.

"Oh, right. The carnival," Elphaba blushed, slowly pulling away.

The king couldn't wipe the smile off his face. The blonde looked confused, but she didn't voice her thoughts as they all made their way to the carriage. Once the three of them were inside, the carriage took off to the town square. As the people saw the royal carriage approaching, they began to cheer and wave.

"I just love it when people clap for me," Fiyero grinned as he waved back.

Elphaba rolled her eyes at her husband as she waved to the people before the carriage stopped and they got out.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Summer Carnival!" Fiyero smiled as he and Elphaba cut the rope.

Everyone cheered and ran inside to get started with the festivities. Elphaba and Fiyero settled for simply walking around and talking to a few people.

"This is nice," Elphaba said as they strolled.

"So are you," Fiyero said as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"My father would never be doing this, coming down here and talking with the people, that is. He wouldn't even let me come when I was a child."

"Well, we said that things were going to cha- wait, where's Galinda?"

Elphaba turned and saw that the blonde had stopped by the cotton candy cart, where Sir Joachim was. It looked like he was buying her a pink cotton candy stick and it was very clear that they were falling in love with each other.

"They really do like each other," Elphaba laughed.

"And she'll be able to marry him, too," Fiyero said casually. "If she choses to."

It took a clock-tick for that news to sink in. "Really?" Elphaba asked, wide eyed and a wide smile. "That went through, too?"

"Yup. They all did. It took a better part of the day, but they did. Things are going to change around here, Fae." He quickly pulled Elphaba closer to him and pressed his lips against hers. Elphaba didn't seem to be complaining as she wrapped her arms around his neck. They were only pulled apart by a chorus of little giggles. They turned and saw a group of little children standing a few feet away, watching them. Galinda and Sir Joachim were standing behind them, Galinda's smile hidden by the cotton candy.

"I believe it's time for some dancing," Fiyero said loudly, going over to the children and leading them to the dancing square.

Elphaba followed him and motioned for Galinda and Sir Joachim to follow her. "He's a fine catch," she teased the blonde, a gentle smile on her face.

Galinda blushed furiously and bit her lip to avoid giggling. "We're j-just fri-ends."

Elphaba smiled knowingly. She knew the blonde had feelings for the lesser lord, but knew her past and the current situation in Oz was stopping her, but she took comfort in the fact that the situation would still change.

Once the music started, everyone began dancing. Elphaba and Fiyero danced the first dance together, before Fiyero went to dance with the children. They all squealed when they saw the king and quickly incorporated him into their dance. Elphaba watched with a large smile as her husband danced with the kids and thought about what a great father he would have been. She quickly shook those thoughts from her head and turned towards Galinda, who was still dancing with Sir Joachim. She decided to join the dance with her husband. She offered her hand to a little girl who looked about six or seven years old. She looked at the queen's green hand questionably before slowly taking it and gently pulling her into the circle.

"Did you have fun?" Fiyero asked on their way back.

"I had fun watching that little girl step on your toes before you allowed her to stand on your feet," Elphaba smiled. She looked over at her friend, who was fast asleep from all the dancing. "I know Galinda had a good time."

"When can we tell her?"

"Her birthday is tomorrow. We can tell her then. And then you can make the announcement to everyone."

Fiyero gave his wife the 'Do I _have_ to be patient?' look, but agreed. "She'll be so thrillified."

Elphaba nodded. "She deserves it."

* * *

 **The next chapter will be the final one! We're almost at 200 reviewers! And I graduate high school today! Favorite lines?**


	21. A Start of Something New

**Here we are, everyone! The final chapter! And special thank you to my 200th reviewer, Emma7753.**

 **LifelongLeahstar: Thank you for the song! (And for breaking my review page. LOL!)**

 **Imaginingdragons: I plan on becoming an actress and one day starring in a Broadway musical. And if that doesn't work out, I'll just write one.**

 **Torchakaywrites: I think you won't need the Nia Hunters for this chapter.**

* * *

Most people say that when your heart is in the right place, everything else will work itself out. These people are not wrong.

The king was hardly able to contain his excitement the next morning. He had to pull his wife out of bed, who was less energetic than he was, and practically pull her to the bathroom to get ready. Elphaba moaned, complained, and threatened to hex Fiyero, but once she fully woke up, she was as equally excited as he was. Once she was ready, she went to the blonde's room to wake her up and found her still peacefully asleep in her bed. Smiling, she tiptoed over to her friend and gently shook her arm.

"Galinda? Galinda, wake up," she whispered into the blonde's ear.

Galinda hummed and sleepily swatted Elphaba's hand away, her nose twitching before she fell back asleep.

"Galinda, wake up. It's your birthday today."

At that, the blonde slowly opened her eyes and smiled at the green girl. "H-Hi."

"Good morning. Happy birthday."

"Th-Thanks." The blonde sat up and yawned, smiling as her friend wrapped her in a hug.

"We have a very busy day today," Elphaba said as she pulled Galinda up to her feet.

"R-Rea-lly?" Galinda asked, yawning and picking out a dress.

Elphaba smiled and nodded. "Of course."

The blonde simply shrugged it off, thinking that Elphaba had planned a simple, yet nice, picnic in the gardens. As it turns out, after breakfast, the girls went for a walk and sat under their usual tree. They talked and picked flowers and around noontime, a servant brought out the picnic things.

Galinda smiled as she sat on the blanket with her best friend. As they ate, she thought about how far their relationship had come. The queen had gone from hating her, to tolerating her, to accepting her, to becoming her best friend. And now, she wouldn't trade their relationship for anything in the world.

After their picnic, Elphaba led the blonde back inside and into the throne room, where Fiyero was looking out the window, his hand locked behind his back.

"Hi, Yero," Elphaba smiled.

The king turned and grinned, seeing his wife and her best friend. "Hi. Happy birthday, Galinda."

"Th-Thank you," Galinda blushed.

Fiyero smiled as he went over to his desk to retrieve a wrapped box. "This is for you."

The blonde looked surprised and happy as she took the box and gently unwrapped the paper. She pulled out a rolled document and slowly undid the ribbon. "Wh-What is th-is?"

Fiyero simply smiled as he wrapped his arms around Elphaba and rested his chin against her shoulder. Galinda eyes scanned the paper and tears welled in her eyes.

"I was thinking for a name for it," Fiyero said. "Something like… Galinda's Law?"

"Very original," Elphaba chuckled.

"I try."

"Wh-What d-does th-is… m-mean?" Galinda asked, looking up at the king.

"It means that there will now be severe consequences for any man who harasses, sexual or otherwise, a woman, and the price to pay will be even more severe for people working in the service to the king and queen," Fiyero said. "What happened to you, Galinda, was awful and I'm sorry it happened to you. I'm sorry that I can't change it, but I want to do something about it. This law won't be able to punish past incidences, but it will hopefully decrease them in the future."

Galinda looked at the paper once more, soaking in every word that would mean a better future for girls like her.

"I also have been setting up a program that will help girls and women who are victims of harassment, sort of like therapy, but not quite. It's… it's complicated and there are still a lot of kinks in the system and…"

"Th-Thank you," Galinda smiled, tears of joy streaming down her cheek.

The Vinkun smiled and gently wrapped his arms around the blonde, and happily surprised when she didn't stiffen or pull away. That was proof that things were taking a step in the right direction and everything would work out for the best. He smiled when he felt her return the hug and after a few clock-ticks, gently handed her over to Elphaba.

"And there's something else," the green girl whispered to her friend, handing her a tissue.

The blonde looked up and wiped her eyes, following Elphaba as she walked over to Fiyero's desk and handed her another piece of paper. Galinda wiped a stray tear from her cheek before reading the paper, and gasping at what she read. "Wh-What…"

"You deserve it," Elphaba said. "I've seen you with Sir Joachim. You really like him and he really likes you. Anyone can see that."

"Are… y-you say-ing th-at…"

Elphaba nodded. "You are free to have a romantic relationship with him, and later, marry him if you wish."

Galinda was at a loss of words. Elphaba smiled at her best friend. She knew the blonde and Sir Joachim would make a lovely couple and they obviously wanted to be together. "Th-Thank you," the blonde finally said.

The green girl smiled and nodded. "You're welcome, Galinda."

"I will make the announcement public this evening. It's about time things started changing for the better in Oz," Fiyero smiled, watching as Galinda and Elphaba shared a hug. Not wanting to feel put-out, he gently wrapped his arms around both women. The girls laughed and quickly included him in the hug, feeling more like a family than ever before.

* * *

Everyone was more than happy about King Fiyero's royal proclamation. Everyone immediately recognized that changes he wanted to make in terms of the treatment of women and poor people. They would all tell that he was going to be a kind and just king.

Galinda spent the better part of two weeks with the lesser lord before he had to go back to the Vinkus. They kept in constant contact through letters, but to Galinda, it didn't quite feel exactly the same. She knew that she wouldn't see him for a while, or ever again, and that fact worried her.

"Don't worry," Elphaba said when the blonde confided in her. "You'll see him again. Probably when you least expect it."

And sure enough, for the next eight months, Galinda and Sir Joachim got together even more. Elphaba smiled when Galinda told her stories about how they had given each other nicknames (well, Galinda gave "Jo" a nickname). A full year later, while Jo and Galinda were sharing a peaceful lunch at a small café, Jo had gotten down on his knees and pulled out a small black box. He didn't even finish proposing before Galinda exclaimed, "YES!" and launched herself at her boyfriend… well, now _fiancée_. When they got back to the palace, they immediately sought out Elphaba and Fiyero to tell them the good news. The green girl was ecstatic when her friend showed her the engagement ring and gave her a big hug. Fiyero smiled at Jo and gave him a thumbs up.

The girls went away, chatting a mile a minute about the impending wedding date. They decided on a date around Lurlinemas, since Galinda wanting a winter wedding. Galinda wrote a letter to her uncle telling him about everything and asking him if he would be able to give her away. She got a response three weeks later saying that he would be honored and that her parents would be very proud of her.

One month later, Galinda began to notice Elphaba acting weird. She had a feeling what was going on, but didn't want to voice any of her suspicions, just in case she was wrong. On the morning the King and Queen of the Vinkus were coming for a meeting, Galinda was helping Elphaba into her gown when her fingers accidently grazed over Elphaba's stomach. She looked up at the green girl when she felt a light vibration and the queen smiled.

"I'm around three weeks along," Elphaba whispered, and Galinda covered her mouth to avoid squealing. "I haven't even told Fiyero yet."

"Why n-not?" Galinda asked as Elphaba sat down at her vanity.

Elphaba was silent for a while. "I… I guess I'm a little scared. So many things could go wrong… especially after what happened last time."

Galinda finished brushing Elphaba's hair and gently took her hand. "You'll be f-fine."

"I hope so," Elphaba whispered, rising to her feet. "Thank you."

Galinda curtsied and both girls laughed. The green girl gave her friend a wave over her shoulder before she disappeared.

As Lurlinemas rolled around, so did the wedding preparations. Fiyero and Elphaba had insisted that the wedding be held in the palace. Most of the guests would be Joachim's family and friends, since the only people Galinda could think to invite were Elphaba, Fiyero, and her uncle.

Elphaba beamed with pride as she helped Galinda into her wedding dress. It was a white, strapless gown with long, see-through, lace sleeves. A sparkly, silver belt hugged her waist and the skirt flowed over her legs like a silky, lace waterfall. She curled her hair and styled it so her blonde curls framed her face and fell down her shoulder. "You look beautiful," she said as she fixed the veil into her hair and handed the bride her flowers.

Galinda smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror. "Th-ank you."

Elphaba nodded and placed her hand over her bulging abdomen. She had insisted with Fiyero that being five months pregnant was hardly a reason for her not to participate in Galinda's wedding.

"Come in!" Elphaba called when someone knocked at the door.

The door opened and Tolymon Upland came in, wearing a navy blue shirt with matching pants and a white dress shirt. "Your Majesty," he bowed to Elphaba. His eyes rested on Galinda and he stopped short. "My..." he whispered, a smile tugging on the ends of his lips.

"I think it's almost time," Elphaba smiled, placing a hand on Galinda's shoulder and maneuvering around Tolymon to find Fiyero.

Galinda looked up and smiled at her uncle. "Hi."

"Hi," Tolymon smiled, stepping over to his niece and kissing her cheek. "You look simply beautiful, my dear."

"Th-Thank you," Galinda blushed.

He offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

The blonde nodded and took her uncle's arm, allowing him to escort her down the stairs to the large ballroom.

Jo's breath caught in his throat as he looked at his soon-to-be-wife. He almost forgot how to breathe, but deeply inhaled when he felt her brush her fingers against his. The whole ceremony was a blur and the only thing the couple remembered was sharing their first kiss as husband and wife and hearing everyone's cheers fill their ears.

* * *

Fiyero was feeling every type of joyful emotion as he looked at the tiny bundle in his arms. He had to admit, he didn't remember waiting for nine months being so hard the last time, but he finally got to stop waiting one mid-April day. "Hello, little Litta," he whispered.

Elphaba tiredly smiled as she watched her husband get to know their daughter. She was very happy for another chance to have another little girl and was glad that Fiyero was able to share in this moment. She was exhausted from being in labor for the better part of the day, and was glad that it was finally over. "She looks a lot like you."

"She looks like her Mama, too, y'know," Fiyero smiled, gently placing the bundle in his wife's arms.

The newborn slowly opened her eyes and looked up at her parents. Fiyero wiped a tear away from Elphaba's eye and kissed her forehead. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Amilitta," Elphaba whispered, rocking her in her arms. "She looks a lot like her sister, too."

Fiyero rested his cheek against the top of his wife's head and contently watched his daughter. He made a silly face and watched as she looked at him for a few clock-ticks before falling back asleep.

"May we come in now?" Jo asked from the other side of the closed door. "Galinda and I want to meet our new godchild."

"I promised Galinda," Elphaba said when her husband looked down at her. "Come in."

Jo and Galinda hurried inside and looked down at the slumbering princess. "She's beauti-ful," Galinda smiled.

"What's her name?" Jo asked.

"Amilitta," Fiyero told his friend. "Amilitta Elida Tigulaar."

After Harv had retired as the palace steward, Fiyero had immediately hired Joachim to replace him, but the two were more on a friendly basis, although Jo also offered Fiyero some good advice from time to time.

"Would you like to hold her?" Elphaba asked, looking at her best friend.

Galinda nodded and gently took the swaddled baby from her mother. Amilitta's nose twitched, but she stayed asleep. The blonde smiled as she gently rocked her goddaughter in her arms. She wasn't sure she was fully ready to admit it yet, but she wanted a baby of her own, though she would be able to deal without the midnight feedings and diaper changes for a while longer. For now, she would just focus on helping out Elphaba. She handed the baby to her husband, who smiled as he admired the new addition to the royal family.

"She's beautiful," Jo smiled as he handed Amilitta back to Fiyero, since Elphaba had fallen asleep. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Fiyero said, kissing his daughter's forehead before placing her in the bassinet next to the bed.

"We'll let you get some rest now. We'll see you in the morning," Jo said, giving his friend a hug and stepping back to allow Galinda to say goodbye.

"Goodnight," Fiyero smiled as he watched his friends leave, hand-in-hand.

"Yero?" Elphaba mumbled, slowly opening her eyes.

"Hey," Fiyero said as he gently climbed into bed next to his wife and kissed her forehead. Elphaba snuggled closer to him and sighed contently. "Galinda and Jo retired for the night."

"M'okay," Elphaba hummed, already beginning to fall back asleep.

Amilitta began to fuss and Fiyero slowly got up to comfort her. He took her out of the bassinet and walked around the room, gently rocking her in his arms. He stopped in front of the window and looked out at the full moon. He looked back down at her and nuzzled his nose against hers before kissing her forehead. All past, current, and future problems were forgotten in that moment, and the king knew that a new era was just beginning.

* * *

 **The End.**

 **Galinda's wedding dress is posted on my blog.**

 **Thank you all for reading! It means the world to me! My next story will be called** ** _"On Broken Wings"_** **and it will be a crossover between Wicked and Greek Mythology. It will be in the crossover section, so be sure to keep your eyes open for that. I'll try to have it up by the end of next month.**


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